Pokemon Adventure
by C War
Summary: Unable to begin his adventure until he turned 16, Chris has just arrived in Vermillion City. Adventure, discovery, friendship, and more wait for him. Rated T for violence.
1. A New Beginning

Chris left the ship, glad that he was finally off of that blasted island. He had always felt cooped up back home, and now that he was 16 he was considered an adult, and was able to leave the island. He was finally able to become a trainer. 

He'd always been fascinated by trainers, having heard them tell their stories for years back home. He would often go onto the ships--under escort of a sailor, of course--and watch the trainers battle each other. He wanted to be part of that. 

He also had one thing that most trainers didn't: the ability to understand Pokemon. He'd been very close to some of the Pokemon back on the island, and over time learned to talk to them. 

The first thing that Chris did was to go to the Pokemon Center to register, and the Pokemon Mart to buy some Pokeballs. Now to go catch one. He knew how to do it, having been told by trainers in the port. Of course, normally someone gave you your first Pokemon, but he had something else in mind. 

He walked back to the pier, and went down by the water. "Hey, come on out! I'm ready!" He waited for a moment, and then he saw a familiar form coming up out of the water. "Hey Dratini! How was the trip?" 

"Long. I'm tired." Dratini had been Chris's closest friend among the Pokemon back home, and had wanted to come with him, so she'd hidden under the ship throughout the trip. 

"Well, I've got a Pokeball here that you can rest in. Then I'll really be a trainer and we'll officially be partners." He brought out the red and white ball and tossed it to Dratini. 

"Ok, let's do it." Dratini tapped the Pokeball with her tail, and disappeared inside. A red light started to glow on the front, but turned off quickly. 

"Cool. We've really begun. Let's do this!"

The first thing that Chris did was to go over to the gym. He'd heard about the gyms, and knew that the badges earned by defeating the gym leaders were needed to go to the Pokemon league. He read the sign out front, and his resolve was strengthened. The gym leader used Electric Pokemon, and Dratini was resistant to electric attacks. He didn't expect much trouble. 

"Hey, we've got a new challenger! I haven't seen a new face for quite a while. You don't look like you're from around here, kid. Where you from?" 

"From the southern islands. Just got here on the ship in the bay. Wanted to see if the stories are true." 

"Stories, huh?" 

"On my island, Pokemon training is forbidden, but I've heard stories from trainers, and wanted to come myself." 

"So, you just got here from an island that forbids training, and you want to fight me? This should be fun. Raichu, go!" 

"Dratini, let's do this!" The two Pokemon stared at each other. Surge looked confident of victory. Chris was ready to see what he could do. 

"Raichu, Thunderbolt." 

"Dratini, Dragon Rage!" 

Dratini shook off the electric shock. Raichu was shaken, but recoiled quickly. 

"Raichu, Thunder!" 

"Dratini, Outrage." 

Chris enjoyed this, the adrenaline rush of battling. Surge was looking worried. Dratini had avoided the attack and hit Raichu hard. 

"Raichu, hit it with Thunder!" 

"Keep it up, Dratini! You can do it!" 

Dratini's subsequent attack sent Raichu flying into the wall before he could respond. She hit again before he even regained his feet. Raichu hit the wall again, and slumped onto the floor, unable to rise. 

"Yeah! Nice work, Dratini! We did it!" 

"Good job, kid. You've got a lot of power and skill, despite being new. Here's the Thunder badge. Raichu hasn't been thrown around like that for a long time." 

"Thank you, Lieutenant. I am glad that we met. I've actually trained unofficially with Dratini here for a few years back home, practicing with the other Pokemon. We know each other really well." 

Dratini did a flip, then said "Sure do! That was fun!" 

"Wow. You are really close. Good luck, kid." 

"Thank you, sir." Chris and Dratini left the gym, and Surge went to heal Raichu, preparing for another challenge.

Chris was in lavender town. He'd left Vermilion heading east, and this was the nearest town this way. He and Dratini had battled a few times along the way, trainers and wild Pokemon, but none of the wild Pokemon were very strong, so he hadn't caught any. Now he was in the Pokemon Center, getting Dratini healed from the few wounds she had taken from a Quick Attack or Swift that had gotten through. 

He headed outside once she was ready, and they turned and stared at Pokemon Tower. There were ghost Pokemon in there, and maybe some others. Ghosts would be very useful to have. They headed in, and suddenly he was struck with a feeling of sadness. All of these headstones were for dead Pokemon. Most had died of illness or old age, but a few had died of other reasons. Like Team Rocket. Their cruelty was inexcusable. Chris resolved to take down any of them who he met and make them pay. 

Chris continued to climb the tower, having heard from the Channelers that there was something odd going on upstairs. If something was wrong, he'd try and fix it, if he could. He didn't like Pokemon suffering, and wanted to help them. Suddenly, a Gastly appeared in front of him. 

"Dratini, use thunder wave!" 

The Gastly was stunned, but struck back with Lick. Dratini didn't like it much. 

"Now, Dragon Rage!" 

THAT one sent Gastly reeling, and Chris threw a Pokeball. The Gastly had been the first wild Pokemon to actually hit Dratini. The red light stayed on for a moment, and then died. He picked up the Pokeball that held his second Pokemon. He called it back out. "Hello, Gastly." 

"Yes, Human, what do you want?" His voice was cold and distant as he spoke. 

"I want to be friends. You are obviously powerful; otherwise you couldn't have hit Dratini with your attack." 

Gastly's expression softened slightly. "Thank you. I'm not too keen on humans, as they are the cause of many of these graves." 

"They are also why the Pokemon got a proper burial." 

Gastly pondered that for a moment. "True, true. I never thought of it that way." 

"I want to stop brutes like the ones who've caused these graves. Will you help me?" 

"Yes. Some of them are here now, up on the top floor with the only other human I trust, though he can't talk to me." 

"Let's go then." 

Chris suddenly felt a nudging at his leg. He looked down, and saw a Cubone poking him with its club. "Um, sir, I want to come too. Those men killed my mommy when she was trying to save me." 

"Sure, little guy. We'll make them pay." he put a Pokeball on the floor in front of Cubone. He poked it with his stick and was drawn in. Chris brought him back out to walk with the others. Now he and his three friends continued up the tower to fight the Rockets.

Chris and his Pokemon reached the top floor of Pokemon Tower. There they saw a group of rockets harassing an old man. "Mr. Fuji is in trouble, Chris." 

"Hold on, Gastly, I'll take care of it. You guys get into your Pokeballs for now." Chris strode up the last three stairs with his Pokemon in their balls at his belt. 

"Hey, kid, what are you doing here?!" 

"Looking at the graves. It's a tomb. That's what you do." 

"Get out of here, or you'll regret it." 

"Regret letting you guys desecrate the place? I doubt it." Chris continued walking towards them. 

"Fine, then we'll battle over it. Raticate, Go!" 

"Gastly, you're up." 

The Pokemon appeared, staring each other down. "Gastly, Psychic!" 

"Raticate, Sand Attack!" 

Gastly hit full force with the attack, whereas Raticate missed completely. 

"Now, Hypnosis!" 

"Hyper Fang!" 

Raticate's attack passed right through Gastly, and Gastly put Raticate to sleep easily as it turned back around. 

"Now, Dream Eater!" 

Raticate went from sleeping to being fully unconscious. 

"Blast you. Golbat, Stop him! Bite!" 

"Gastly, Psychic again." 

Golbat never got close enough to attack. The psychic attack flung him into a wall, and he was out cold. 

"Blast, I'm out." The man went over to his buddies, who were still harassing the old man. The other two came over. 

"So, you beat him, huh?" 

"Well, we'll take you on tag team. 2 on 2." They did a high-5, and got ready to battle. 

"Fine. Gastly, let's have the other two take care of this. Dratini, Cubone, your turn!" 

"Arbok!" 

"Wheezing!" 

The four Pokemon took the field, ready to go. 

"Cubone, Bonemerang on Arbok! Dratini, use Outrage on Wheezing!" 

"Poison Tail!" 

"Acid!" 

Cubone's attack knocked Arbok for a loop, leaving it confused for a second. Then it came back, and smacked it in the back of the head, leaving it unconscious. Dratini dodged the Acid as it hit home with Outrage. 

"GAH! Arbok return." 

"Wheezing, Sludge!" 

"Cubone, Bone Club!" 

Dratini's outrage was still going strong, and hit Wheezing again, sending it spinning in mid-air. Cubone jumped up, and smacked Wheezing with his club, sending him right into his trainer's stomach. Then, Wheezing Exploded, sending the three men flying through the roof. 

"Mr. Fuji, are you alright?" Chris called as he ran over to the man to help him up. 

"A little bruised, but no worse for wear, thanks to you." 

"No problem. Let's head back down and get you home." 

"How did you know I was here?" 

"Gastly told me." 

"Ah, hello Gastly. I've heard of people who can talk to Pokemon and understand them, but you're the first I've met. I have something for you, if you'll come to my home." They left the tower and went to Mr. Fuji's Pokemon House. There, Mr. Fuji presented his gift. "This is a mystical flute, called a Poke-flute." 

"Wow. The elders back home on the island have these. They are proof of the deeds done through their lives." 

"As it is for you. The only tune I know for it awakens sleeping Pokemon, but there are rumored to be others that can do more." 

"Only rumored, huh? I actually know a few, including the one that you mentioned." Chris took the flute and played an upbeat melody, which drew the attention of everyone in the room.

"That one will focus the mind and break paralysis. I know others for confusion and to help a Pokemon break out of being frozen." He played a sharp melody that seemed like it could easily break ice. 

"Well, then I've given you a valuable gift. Use it well, lad." Chris thanked Mr. Fuji, then headed to the Pokemon center to rest for the night…


	2. Celadon and Cerulean

Chris headed west out of Lavender town, since north lead to the dark Rock Tunnel. Since he had no lights, west was his only choice. His three Pokemon walked with him. Well, Cubone walked, anyways. 

He decided to forgo Saffron City for the time being, and used the underground path to get to Celadon. Along the way, he fought with various trainers, gaining experience for his Pokemon, especially Cubone. 

In Celadon, his first stop was the Pokemon Center. His Pokemon needed rest, and he wanted to find out a bit about the city. Erika could be a bit of a challenge, but he could figure out a way to beat her. 

Later, he found himself in front of the gym. He was going to try for his second badge. He walked in, and found Erika right away. Getting her to battle, though, was another matter. He really didn't mind talking about the plants and Pokemon, though. He told her about various plants on his home island that really amazed her. After about half an hour, he finally managed to get things rolling on the battle. 

"Oh, ok. Well, let's do it then. Gloom, go!" 

"Yes, let's. Cubone, you're first." Chris noticed a change come over Erika. She was definitely more focused when she was actually battling than when she wasn't. She probably realized that both had elemental advantages here. 

"Gloom, Vine Whip!" 

"Cubone, dodge and use Bonemerang." 

Cubone took a glancing blow, but Gloom couldn't move as fast, and got hit directly from the Bonemerang, in both directions. 

"Gloom, get up and use Petal Dance!" 

"Cubone, use Magnitude!" 

Cubone attacked before Gloom regained her feet, dealing a heavy blow that knocked her out. 

"Well done, Chris. Next up, Tangela!" 

"Cubone, well done, come on back. Gastly, you're up now!"

Cubone looked good, but Chris knew that he didn't have the same advantage over the Tangela. Gastly did, though. 

"Gastly, Poison Gas!" 

"Tangela, Vine Whip!" 

Both attacks connected, but Tangela took a lot more damage. 

"Now, Night Shade!" 

"Tangela, Synthesis!" 

But Tangela didn't get a chance to use its healing move. Gastly took it down before it was able to even start. 

"Wow, you're pretty strong, Chris. But I have one left. Victreebell, you're up!" 

"Gastly, well done. Let's have Dratini wrap this up." 

Dratini was eager to have her turn to fight. And she wouldn't have much problem. 

"Victreebell, Leech Seed!" 

"Dratini, Dragon Rage!" 

Dratini's attack scorched the seeds, and hit Victreebell hard.

"Ok, now wrap!"

"Victreebell, Vine Whip!"

Dratini moved in fast, squeezing Victreebell so that it couldn't move.

"Finish with Outrage!"

Power flowed along Dratini's length, damaging the ensnared Victreebell. She then let go, and Victreebell fell to the ground.

"Well done, Chris. You win. Here, take this Rainbow Badge."

"Thank you, Erika."

"Come back sometime, if you don't mind. I enjoyed our conversation."

Chris headed up to Cerulean City, planning to take on Misty next. He also planned to get a bike, if he could. He cut through Saffron, but didn't stick around too long. Saffron made him uncomfortable. Too much metal, and not enough plants. Due to Erika, Celadon had a nice balance of both. This area, though, was too harsh for him, too rigid. He also didn't think that his Pokemon were strong enough to battle Sabrina, yet. 

He got to Cerulean quickly, and headed straight to the gym. He knew that Misty used water Pokemon, so Cubone wouldn't be fighting this time, but Gastly and Dratini would do fine. He went in, and there was Misty. She was swimming in the pool with her Pokemon, so Chris walked over to them there. 

"Hello. So, you're here for a gym battle? A little older than most trainers who come here." 

"I just came in from Pokemon Island, where I grew up. Training is banned there, so I just got started." 

"Wow, Pokemon Island? I went there a couple of years ago, for a vacation. I remember that rule. I thought that your odd clothes looked familiar." 

"Eh, I like standing out like this. Mind if Dratini and I join you for a swim though?" 

"Sure. I love Dratini, though I don't have one myself. We'll battle in a little while." Chris took off his hat, vest, and shoes, let out Dratini, and they dove into the water. Swimming had been one of his favorite activities back home, being with all of the Pokemon. They spent a couple of hours in the pool before finally getting out to dry off. 

"So, how do we want to do this, Chris? Does a double battle sound good?" 

"Double Battle? Never heard that term before." 

"We both use two Pokemon at the same time. Whichever of us looses both Pokemon first looses the match." 

"Sounds good to me. We ready to do this?" 

"Staryu, Starmie, let's go!" 

"Gastly, Dratini, it's time to play." 

Those two were a little surprised to be on the field at the same time. This could be a challenge, Chris realized. 

"Staryu, Rapid Spin! Starmie, swift!" 

"Gastly, Night Shade! Dratini, thundershock!" 

Both of Misty's attacks hit Dratini, and as a result the three Pokemon were close together. Gastly used Night Shade, and hit all three of them. Dratini didn't much like being hit, and used her thundershock as a chain, shocking both water Pokemon, and bouncing over to Gastly. 

"No! Don't fight each other!" 

"Looks like they don't have any experience with this, either. Staryu, Water Gun! Starmie, Water Pulse!" 

"Gastly, Shadow Ball! Dratini, Dragon Breath!" 

This time both Pokemon aimed at Gastly. His shadow Ball flew straight through Staryu's attack, and sent it flying back into the wall, unconscious. The water pulse hit hard, though, and Gastly couldn't take it, and was KO'ed as well. Dratini hit Starmie, but it wasn't enough to take it out. 

"Starmie, finish this with Hydro Pump!" 

"Dratini, Use Outrage!" 

The Outrage attack deflected the Hydro pump, and nearly caused Starmie to make a hole in the roof by sending it flying. It landed face down in the pool, with a hard splash. It floated to the surface, unconscious. 

"Well, Chris, it was nice to meet you, and to battle you. Here's your Cascade Badge. I hope to see you again sometime." 

"Next time I'm in the area, I'll drop in. See you later, Misty."  
Chris walked out of the gym, his third badge in hand.

Chris headed to the Cerulean bike shop after healing his Pokemon. He wasn't sure how much it would cost, but he had a solution for if he couldn't afford it. 

They only had two types of bikes, city and mountain, both collapsible for easier carrying if you were inside. Chris could easily fit a collapsed one inside of his hat. They all cost quite a bit, too. Thus, his secret weapon would be used. 

"Hey, you're not from around here, are you kid. From out in the southern islands, unless I'm way off base." 

"Correct you are, sir. And though I lack currency, I do have something else from there that might be of value." Chris pulled from his pack an exotic fruit, a Conu fruit. He had quite a few of them stashed away, since they kept very well, and had a hard outer shell for protection. 

"Wait, you're offering me one of _those_ for a bike? They're worth at least twice that in this region, if you know who to sell it to." 

"So it's a deal then?" 

"Sure, kid, and I'll throw in a service warrantee, too. This thing's worth it." Chris handed over the fruit, and rode out on a yellow mountain bike. A mountain was also the first place he planned to use it. Mt. Moon was his next destination.


	3. Mt Moon, Viridian Forest

Mt. Moon was very beautiful. Chris was riding slowly through the caves, enjoying himself. The foothills were steeper than he'd expected, and he'd had to walk his bike up Dratini's back to traverse a couple of the ledges, but he'd made it to the caves. They had an ethereal light to them, a glow coming from the rocks themselves. 

Suddenly, his bike caught on a large rock, sending Chris tumbling to the cave floor. He was slightly hurt, and really didn't care. There in front of him were two rare objects--a moon stone, and some amber. The amber had what looked like a fang trapped inside of it. He grabbed both of them, and tucked them into his hat. They were too valuable to keep in his pack. 

He looked back to see what he'd hit, and saw a Geodude. "Hey, sorry 'bout that, little guy." 

"My fault for sleeping in path." The Geodude's grammar was low, but with rocks for brains that wasn't surprising. 

"Well, I'd move off to the side and go back to sleep, if I were you." 

"Yes. Sleep good." And he did just that. Soon a rocky snore came from the corner where he'd nestled himself. 

Chris and his Pokemon continued through the cave. Suddenly, they heard voices. "Quite a catch, don't you think boss?" 

"Yes, well done. How'd you manage to get so many Clefairy? They're extremely rare, even here." 

"I was climbing up higher on the mountain, and found another cave. There was this group of them, just standing there singing." 

"Be glad that they didn't sing you to sleep." 

"Eh, I was prepared for that. I wore earplugs. I'd been sung to sleep by some Jigglypuff earlier, and didn't want a repeat performance." 

"Well, I'd say that this deserves a promotion, for valor and brains." 

"Yes, sir, thank you, sir." 

Chris turned to his Pokemon. "We've got to help those Clefairy. I don't like the sound of those men." 

"Yes, please help my friends!" Chris turned, and saw another Clefairy. "Those bad men in black are being very cruel to them. I can't stand that kind of behavior in humans!" 

"Don't worry, Clefairy. I can't stand it either. We'll take care of it. Gastly, how many are there?" 

Gastly went through the wall, then came back a moment later. "There are four guards, none of which are the two we heard a moment ago. They have left since." 

"Four Rocket Grunts. Not a problem. Clefairy, are you willing to fight to help your friends?" 

"Yes! But alone I can't challenge those humans, so I sought your help." 

"OK, guys, I think you're strong enough to take them on all at the same time. How about it?" 

"Let's get 'em!" Cubone was always ready to fight Rockets. 

"They will pay." Gastly didn't like the Rockets, either, for the pain they caused. 

"I have to help my friends!" Clefairy was all in, of course. 

"We cannot tolerate injustice." Dratini was wise for its size, and had the same ardor for justice as the rest. 

"Clefairy, jump on my shoulder. The rest of you, get into your balls for now. It'll be a surprise attack." 

Chris rounded the corner, and the guards noticed him immediately. 

"You lost, kid?" the first one asked. 

"No." 

"Well, get out of here. This is our territory." The second looked annoyed. 

"This is Pokemon territory. You are the ones violating it." 

"Oh yeah, punk! Put your money where your mouth is!" The third looked like he'd rather a fist-fight than a Pokemon battle. 

"I can take on all four of you grunts at the same time." 

"Really?" The fourth was amazed, and they all laughed. 

"Yes. Let's battle." 

Each Rocket sent out a different Pokemon: Zubat, Ratata, Ekans, and Koffing. Chris sent out his Pokemon. Cubone faced Koffing, Dratini stared down Ekans, Gastly took on Zubat, and Clefairy lined up against Ratata. 

The battle became a melee, quickly. Dratini and Ekans both used Wrap, and Dratini was stronger, putting the squeeze on. Cubone smacked Koffing with Bone Club, sending him flying into Ekans and Dratini, who saw it coming and released just in time. Gastly used Astonish on Zubat, and followed up with Lick. Zubat ended up paralyzed, and fell to the floor. Clefairy dodged a tackle from Ratata, and hit with Double Slap before it turned back around. Then, she used pound to send Ratata into the now-recovering Zubat. They both hit the wall. Finally, she finished up with Sing, putting both the exhausted Pokemon and their trainers to sleep. 

"Great job guys. I'd say that's a rout. Now, let's free these Clefairy." 

"I can handle that." Clefairy jumped forward, and started waving her arms for a Metronome attack. She spouted Hydro Pump, aimed straight at the lock to the cage, bursting it off. The captured Clefairy fled from the cage. 

"Wow, Clefairy, nice job." 

"I have some control over my metronome, namely the element. That could have just as easily come out as Bubble, but that also could have worked." 

"Hey, do you want to join my team, to go and help other Pokemon elsewhere?" 

"Yes, I think so. I'd really like to help other Pokemon. Those mean men won't stop being mean just because we beat them, and there are more, too." 

"Then welcome to the team." Chris tossed a Pokeball into the air. Clefairy jumped up to hit it, and went in. Now Chris had four Pokemon, and all of them felt for him in his quest for justice.

Chris and his team left Mt. Moon, and headed into Pewter City. They stopped by the Pokemon center to heal up, and then headed to the Gym. 

"Hello, new challenger. I'd assume that I'm the first gym leader you'll have faced." 

"Actually, Brock, no. Fourth, actually. I'd guess that you're usually the first, though. 

"Almost always. Meaning it's my job to weed out those who can't handle it. So, are you ready to begin?" 

"Definitely. Cubone, Go!" 

"Geodude, time to go!" 

"Cubone, bone club!" 

"Geodude, Rollout!" 

The rollout attack hit, but Cubone recovered quickly, and smacked the rolling Geodude with his club. 

"Now, Bonemerang!" 

"Geodude, Magnitude!" 

The Bonemerang hit before Geodude was fully recovered from the last hit, and he never got a chance to use his attack. The return trip finished him off. 

"Well done, islander. What's your name, by the way?" 

"Chris. I take it you've been to the islands then." 

"No, but I've seen others from there. A few came through a while back, but I beat them all once and never saw them again. I guess they lost heart." 

"Unfortunate if they did. Ones belief must always be strong enough to withstand defeats as well as victories. Shall we continue?" 

"No need. Your Cubone could easily waste my Onix, and I'm not going to put him through that pain for no reason. Here's your badge." 

"Thank you, Brock. Good job, Cubone!" 

Cubone ran over and jumped into Chris's arms. His emotions had recovered since helping his mother's spirit rest. That spirit probably supported him now, Chris thought after a moment. Still hugging his little friend, he walked out of the gym with his fourth badge.

Chris left Pewter City, heading south. He figured he'd check out Viridian City's gym next. He easily made his way through the Viridian forest, taking out a few Bug Catchers and fighting a few bug Pokemon. Butterfree and Beedrill were good against low level Pokemon, but fell behind at higher levels, so he didn't bother to catch any of the Caterpie or Weedle that attacked him.  
Suddenly, just before he left the forest, he saw a man in red with a Charmander chasing a Pikachu. The Pikachu looked as if it was injured, since it was only running on two legs, when it would normally go faster on four. 

"Hey, you, either catch it or let it go, but don't torment it like that." 

"That Pikachu won't stay in a Pokeball, and it already KO'ed my Poochyena. It's going down!" 

"Not if I have anything to say about it! Cubone, Go!" 

"Alright kid, you asked for it. Charmander, use flamethrower. Toast the Cubone and the kid!" 

"Cubone, Bonemerang! Slice through the flames!" 

It did just that, scattering the flames as it sped towards Charmander. The first hit was square in the mouth, and unhinged his jaw. The return hit knocked him flat. 

"Blast you, kid, you'll pay for this!" The man charged at Chris, ready to fight hand to hand. 

"Not today, Magma freak! Squirtle, Water Gun!" The attack knocked the man off of his feet. 

"Fine. You win today. But I'll be back." 

"Hey, kid, are you okay?" a man in blue asked as he emerged from the trees with his Squirtle. 

"Yeah, thanks. Who are you?" 

"Name's Rick. I'm a recruiter for Team Aqua. Nice Cubone, to take out that Charmander so fast. He completely nullified the attack. Do you want to join Team Aqua?" 

"Maybe. It would seem that Team Magma would be your rivals. Are they all like that guy?" 

"A lot of them, yes. Abusive, cruel, even to their own Pokemon." 

"Yeah, I think I'll join. Any perks?" 

"Well, since you've defeated four gyms, you can actually be an admin, like me. You've certainly got the strength. Anyways, I'll contact you later with more information. I've got an assignment to take care of." Rick took off through the trees. 

Suddenly, Chris remembered the Pikachu. He looked for it, and found that it was hiding behind him. "Hey, little guy, are you okay?" 

"No, not really. My front paw really hurts." 

"Looks like it's burned. Here, let me see it for a moment." Chris pulled a burn heal from his pack, and sprayed it on the wound. It immediately started to clear up. 

"Thank you, friend. It feels much better." 

"You fought pretty well back there, little guy. Do you want to join my team? We're doing our best to help out Pokemon in trouble." 

"Yeah, we are. We like to help." Cubone came over to Pikachu, already hoping he'd join. 

"Sure, that sounds good. I don't like Pokeballs, though." 

"You won't be in there long." Chris tossed a Pokeball, and Pikachu got in. The light died, and Chris picked it up and let Pikachu out. "See? I like to walk with you guys anyways." Chris let out Clefairy, Dratini, and Gastly, and they all introduced themselves to Pikachu. 

"Well, we've got a good team going now. Let's get going." 

They headed to Viridian City, and were disappointed to find out that the gym there was closed, and had been for some time. So they went to the Pokemon center instead, and decided to spend the night there. Chris wondered what tomorrow would bring…


	4. Fiery Battle!

Chris walked into Pallet Town, and headed straight to Professor Oak's lab. He'd heard a lot about the professor back on his island. Occasionally, in really good weather, they could pick up his radio show at night on the island. 

"Hello there! From Pokemon Island, I'd say by the look of your clothes." 

"Yes I am, Professor Oak. My name is Chris." 

"Hello, Chris, good to meet you. Welcome to my lab. Any particular reason that you're here?" 

"To meet you, mostly. You're a world renowned Pokemon authority." 

"Well, I'm flattered. If you don't mind me asking, how long have you been here in Kanto?" 

"About a week. And I've already got four badges in that time." 

"Wow, four already? May I see?" Chris showed the badges to him. "Wow, well done. And with just these five Pokemon?" The Pokemon were all out of their Pokeballs, in various parts of the room. 

"Three of them, actually. Clefairy and Pikachu haven't fought a gym leader yet. Dratini is an old friend, and I met the others here." 

"Well I must say that I'm impressed. Your Cubone looks like it's actually on the verge of evolving." 

"Thank you, professor." 

"Chris, if you don't mind, I'd like to ask a favor of you. I have a Pokedex here that I'd like you to take. It has a catalog of many Pokemon, but I know that there are others out there. This will add some data on those Pokemon to the catalog if you see or catch them. It will also allow you to quickly get in contact with me whenever you need to, or I can call you. It is a new edition, and has multiple functions, like the phone I just mentioned. It also has a map and a radio built in, and a few other functions. It will teleport extra Pokemon that you catch to me here, so that I can study and take care of them, and you can use it to swap one here for one that's with you. It also gives more reason for catching Pokemon that you don't plan to use, since I'd still love to study them. I have a large reserve out back where I keep the various Pokemon that trainers have sent me, or I've caught myself. I just don't travel much anymore, except for around the reserve." 

"Thank you, Professor. I'll do that." They talked a little bit more, and then Chris decided to leave, heading south again, towards Cinnabar Island.

When Chris and his team arrived at Cinnabar Island, the first thing that they did was to head to the Pokemon Center. Dratini had carried them quite a ways, though Chris had swum, too, and she was getting tired. 

While they were resting, Chris talked to them about the upcoming battle. "Blaine is a fire trainer, so Cubone will have the biggest advantage. Also, none of you is at a disadvantage to fire, which is really good. Dratini's water moves will help out a lot here. Pikachu, Clefairy, you might end up helping too, depending on exactly what he uses." 

His Pokemon all shouted in agreement. 

"Well, if everyone's ready, let's go!" Chris and his Pokemon walked over to the gym, or what was supposed to be the gym. The old, run down building looked like it hadn't been used in years. "Well, looks like someone needs to update the maps." 

"No, no, the map's just fine, kid. This island is a tourist's paradise now, so Blaine shut down the gym when no one came anymore." Chris and his Pokemon turned to look at the man who was talking to them. 

"_This_ is what they call a tourist's paradise? I hope that the elders back home can keep this from happening." 

"Home? Where you from, kid?" 

"Pokemon Island. You're the first adult that hasn't guessed that from my clothes." 

"Eh, I live and work here on Cinnabar, though I went to your home a few years back. And I see way too many people wearing garb from places they didn't come from, blasted tourists." 

"So, you profit off of the tourist industry, and yet you dislike them. My guess is that you are Blaine." 

"Wow, kid, nice one. You figured out the riddle before it was asked. My gym was actually damaged in a fire caused by a really good battle, which I lost, and I never bothered to repair it. Too few people had been challenging me even then, and nowadays there are even less. But I have a camera mounted up there, and in the Pokemon Center lobby, so I know when the rare trainer is here for a match." 

"So, where is the match?" Chris's Pokemon were just as anxious as him to get this going. 

"How about right here, in the street? The people here never get to see a good battle anymore. And I don't feel like taking you all the way to the volcano right now." 

"Sounds good to me. Rules?" 

"3 Pokemon each. We both know some about the other and their teams, so this should be interesting." 

They separated, and Blaine took some chalk out of his pocket. In a matter of moments, he had drawn up the boundaries of the field. "Don't want any spectators getting too close. Ready?" 

"Of course. Cubone, you're first." 

"Ok, then, Magmar, let's fire it up!" 

Cubone and Magmar stared at each other, and Magmar started to laugh, making Cubone mad. 

"Hey, don't let it get to you, buddy. Show him that we'll have the last laugh. Bonemerang!" 

"Magmar, Fire Blast!" 

Cubone's Bonemerang went straight through the flames, disrupting them. They still hit Cubone, but with less force. Bonemerang, on the other hand, hit Magmar with full force, doing quite a bit of damage. It swept his feet out from under him on the way back, leaving him on his back. Now Cubone was the one who was laughing. 

"Wow, that Cubone's pretty strong. But is he strong enough? Magmar, Fire Punch!" 

"Cubone, Headbutt into his fist!" 

Cubone took the Fire Punch head on, so his skull hat dispersed the damage, and Magmar was in pain. 

"Wow, strong indeed. You may have actually broken his wrist with that. Magmar, return." 

"Sorry, I didn't mean to break it; I just knew that the skull hat would be the best way to minimize the damage Cubone took." 

"Don't worry, kid, it's not that bad. A quick trip to the Pokemon center will take care of that. Let's get back to the battle. Rapidash, you're next! Fire it up!" 

"Cubone, Dig!" 

"Sorry kid, bad mistake. Rapidash, earthquake!" 

Cubone was underground, and took a lot of damage from the attack. However, he wasn't down yet. 

"Rapidash, keep moving! Agility!" 

Rapidash started to run around, so that Cubone couldn't hit it. 

"Wait for it, Cubone, steady...Now!" 

Cubone surfaced right in front of Rapidash, upturning the ground underneath it so that it lost its footing and fell. 

"Bone Club while it's down!" 

"Rapidash, Stomp!"  
Cubone hit hard, but Rapidash, turning the stomp into a kick while on its side, hit harder, sending Cubone flying across the street. Chris ran over and caught him before he landed. 

"Don't worry, little guy, you can't win 'em all. You did good. Take a rest in your Pokeball." Cubone nodded and returned. 

"Well done kid. Who's up next?" 

"Pikachu, you ready to go?" She nodded. "Then let's do it!" 

"Okay Rapidash, let's go! Flame Wheel!" 

"Pikachu, Thunder Wave!" 

Pikachu's paralyzing attack stopped Rapidash in its tracks. 

"Now, finish what Cubone started with Iron Tail!" 

"Rapidash, Flamethrower!" 

Pikachu was hit with the flames, but kept on, and struck Rapidash hard from underneath. She landed on her back, and rolled to her side, as Pikachu ran back towards Chris. 

"Well done, Chris. Final round, for me at least. Rhydon, let's do this! Shake things up!" 

"Well Pikachu, let's get this done. Iron Tail!" 

"Rhydon, Fissure!" 

Pikachu had already struck when the attack was called, but that left her open to the attack, which sent her flying. Chris caught her and held her close. "I know you can still fight, but you don't stand much chance against Rhydon. Let's have Clefairy finish this, okay?" Pikachu nodded, and Clefairy went onto the field. 

"Clefairy, huh? I'd expected Dratini. Bad call, kid. Rhydon, Rock Slide!" 

"Clefairy, Sing!" 

Rhydon's attack was halted as Clefairy put him to sleep. 

"Now, use Metronome!" 

Metronome turned out Leaf Blade, and she ran forward to do a lot of damage to the sleeping Rhydon. 

"Now, finish with Meteor Mash!" 

The steel type attack woke up Rhydon, but he toppled over before he could do anything. 

"Wow, kid, you did it. Good job. Here's your badge." 

Chris realized that a crowd had gathered as they battled, and they were cheering. He remembered the cheers for the shows that were put on for tourists back home, so he pulled out his Poke-flute and started to play. As he played, he danced, his feet creating a drumbeat rhythm to his tune. Rhydon and Pikachu started to perk up, and Cubone popped out of his Pokeball. Chris's Pokemon gathered around him and started to dance along with him, with Gastly and Dratini doing aerial stunts above him. The audience started to clap along to his rhythm, really getting into his performance. As the song ended, cheers erupted even louder than before. 

"Well, Chris, that was surprising! Quite a performance there. Looks like that tune has some healing qualities as well." Blaine let his Magmar out of its Pokeball, and it was looking as good as ever, and happier. "If you don't go far as a trainer, which it looks like you will, you always have a shot as a performer. Anyways, here's the Volcano Badge." Blaine tossed the badge to him, and he tucked it in with his others. 5 down, 3 to go. Chris and his Pokemon were in a very good mood as they left the island, heading east this time…


	5. The Beautiful Sea

When they arrived at the Seafoam Islands they decided to rest there for a little while, and have some lunch. 

"Hey, guys, how're you doing?" 

"Too much water," Cubone said. He didn't much like the water, and had spent the trip in his Pokeball. 

"I'm loving this. It reminds me of home." Dratini did a little flip in the air, showing how happy she was. 

"I'm liking it," said Pikachu, before taking another bite of her apple. 

"It's okay, I guess." Gastly really didn't seem to care much either way. 

"Hey, where's Clefairy?" 

"I'm over here! Come look at this!" 

They all ran over, and Chris saw a Water Stone just beneath the surface. "Nice one, Clefairy." 

Suddenly, under the sea, Chris saw something. It was huge! It swam by quickly, but he saw glowing marks on its back, and pulled out his Pokedex just in time to get the data. 

_Kyogre, a legendary water Pokemon. According to legend, it has slept for centuries since its cataclysmic battle with Groudon. Nothing else is known about it.  
_

"Well, it's not asleep anymore. And I've seen him once before, too." 

"I remember that, too," Dratini said. "It was before we ever came here." 

_Chris and Dratini were out at sea, swimming, and hadn't realized how far out they were getting. Suddenly, a storm whipped up out of nowhere. Try as they might, they couldn't get back to land, and Chris was tiring quickly. Dratini was tired, too, but was supporting Chris since she could breathe underwater. But she was losing buoyancy fast.  
_

_Suddenly, a glow started from beneath them, coming from a large shadow. Chris felt himself landing on something solid, and then passed out.  
_

_He awoke the next morning on the beach back home, Dratini lying next to him. He didn't know who or what had saved him, but he wanted to see them again someday.  
_

"So Kyogre was the one who saved us so many years ago. Maybe someday I'll have a chance to thank him."

Chris and his team were about to leave the Seafoam Islands when his Pokedex started ringing. He switched it to phone mode and answered. 

"Hello, Chris? This is Rick." 

"Rick? How'd you get my number?" 

"I'm an old friend of Professor Oak. I've been tailing you for a little while now, but I lost you after you left Cinnabar. Where are you now?" 

"Seafoam Islands, about to head to Fuchsia City." 

"Ok then, I'll meet you in Fuchsia in a little while." 

"Hey, Rick, have you ever seen Kyogre?" 

Rick paused for a moment before answering. "Are you saying that you have?" 

"Yes. He just swam past here a few minutes ago. He also saved my live when I was a kid." 

"I've got to go, Chris. We'll talk more when I meet you in Fuchsia. Go ahead and challenge the gym once you get there. I'll meet you in the Pokemon center afterwards."  
Rick hung up then. There had been something strange about him there at the end, after Chris had mentioned Kyogre. Maybe later He'd talk about it. 

Cubone got back in his Pokeball, and Chris and his team set out for Fuchsia City. Pikachu and Clefairy rode on Dratini, Chris swam, and Gastly just floated along in the air. Up ahead, they saw a woman swimming along. 

"Hey, hello!" she called. "Not many people come out this far. Not without Surfing, at least." 

"I'm actually coming from Cinnabar." 

"Wow, even farther! I'm just from Fuchsia, heading to Seafoam to explore." 

"I was just there. Dratini needed a rest from carrying the others. They don't like it much in their Pokeballs." 

"Well, that's pretty cool. Hey, do you want to battle?" 

"Right here?" 

"There's a sandbar just over this way. We can stand on that for the battle." 

Chris swam over to the sandbar with the girl, who he realized was about his age. "Hey, I didn't catch your name." 

"Gloria. What's yours?" 

"Chris. Any rules?" 

"Let's just use 1 Pokemon each, so that we don't exhaust our others." 

"Deal. Gastly, you ready to go?" 

"Gastly, huh? Ok then, I'll use Skarmory!" 

"Whoa, nice. Not what I'd expected. Gastly, Night Shade!" 

"Why not? Because I'm a girl? So's she. Skarmory, Attract!" 

Gastly acted first, and scored a solid hit, but wasn't prepared for the Attract attack. Skarmory somehow put on some sort of feminine charm, infatuating Gastly. 

"Not what I was going to say. I'd just expected you to have water Pokemon, swimming out here like this. Gastly, shake it off and use Shadow Ball!" 

"Oh, ok. I do have some water Pokemon, but I actually travel a lot. I'm from the Johto region, where I caught her, and met most of my other Pokemon. Skarmory, Iron Wing!" 

Gastly was too infatuated to attack, so Skarmory's Iron Wing struck a heavy blow. 

"Wow, pretty good. Gastly, use Hypnosis!" 

"Drill Peck, Skarmory!" 

Skarmory hit first this time, sending Gastly for a loop. The two consecutive attacks snapped him out of it for a moment, and he used Hypnosis to put Skarmory to sleep. 

"Good, now use Dream Eater." 

"Skarmory, Sleep Talk!" 

Gastly did some damage with his attack, and regained some health, but the Sleep Talk took him very off guard. Another Iron Wing was enough to KO him. 

"Wow, you're pretty strong, Gloria. You're the first person to have beaten me." 

"That's actually the closest I've come to a loss for a while. You look to be about my age, Chris. Are you saying you've been undefeated for six years?" 

"No. Actually, I just started as a trainer..." He told her his story. 

"Wow, Pokemon Island? I went there once as a kid, on a family trip. It's gorgeous there." 

"Yeah, it is, but living there all of my life made me long for more. Hey, do you perhaps want to travel with me? We're going opposite directions now, but maybe we could meet up later." 

"Sure. I've still got three badges to earn in this region, from Cinnabar, Saffron, and Viridian. Viridian was closed when I came through, and the Rockets hold Saffron right now, messing with everything in town." 

"Viridian gym is still closed. I was just there yesterday. I've also got three left, since I haven't been to Fuchsia yet." 

"Well, since I can fly on my Skarmory, I'll meet you in Fuchsia once I beat Blaine." 

"There's a surprise in store for you there, but I won't ruin it for you." 

"Well, Janine has some surprises, too. She's just taken over her father's gym so there actually his surprises, but they're kinda nasty." 

"Anyways, I'll see you later, Gloria." 

"I'll meet you in Fuchsia, Chris." 

They both set out swimming in opposite directions, towards their destinations. Maybe that Attract attack had affected Chris, too, because his heart had been racing as he talked with Gloria. It still was, now, just thinking about her. 

A little while later, Chris arrived on the Fuchsia beach. Gloria had been right. It was quite a ways, and most people didn't swim out that far. He went to the Pokemon center to rest his team, and prepared for his gym challenge...

Gloria waded up onto the Seafoam islands, and lay out for a moment. That Chris was interesting, to be sure. That hat looked a little goofy, but yet, on him, with the rest of his garb, it didn't matter. She realized that her heart was racing, and not because of the swim...


	6. Fuscia City, and up to Celadon

Chris and his Pokemon went into town and walked over to the Gym. 

"Welcome, Challenger. If you wish to take the Fuchsia gym challenge, first you must find me. But beware, not everything is what it seems..." 

"So, let's see what the ninja have set up in here. Gastly, this is your specialty. Scout around for us, okay?" 

"Yes, of course." Gastly never seemed to feel much of anything. Probably the most emotion he ever showed had been when Chris first met him. He acted as stoic as a butler now. 

"Chris, there's something weird here." Pikachu approached an area of the floor carefully. 

"What is it?" 

"I sense a large amount of electricity under here." 

"Ok, so let's see what it is. Use a small thundershock to flip off the floor panel, but stay back." 

Pikachu backed off and zapped the floor. The panel flipped up to reveal a Voltorb, hiding there. It didn't like being revealed, and self-destructed. 

"Heh, a trap. Nice one, Pikachu. Stay on guard for more of those. You'll be our minesweeper." 

Gastly now returned. "This will be a little hard, since there are invisible walls, around, but I've found the most secure route into the main area of the building. Follow me." Chris and the others did, with Pikachu right under Gastly to feel for Voltorb. At one point, he got a little ahead, going around another Voltorb, and walked into an invisible wall. 

"Oops, sorry, Pikachu. I didn't remember that one being there. We're almost in, and the entrance should be around that next corner, but now we can't get through." Gastly actually blushed as he apologized. 

"Hey, don't worry, Gastly, I'm okay. We'll find another way through."  
"Well, it won't be back here," called Cubone. "Another wall has slid in behind us." He was tapping it with his club. 

"So, we're trapped in here. Two solid invisible walls and two other walls. Dratini, could you push on this one?" Chris pointed to the one to his right. 

"Sure." She pushed, and it fell outward. And down. There was a chute underneath it, which likely led back outside. 

"Meaning that it's this way!" Clefairy jumped up and hit the other wall, which also fell outward, but into a courtyard. 

"So, you found your way in. You have an impressive collection of Pokemon there, to have helped you get here so fast." 

"Thank you. Now are you ready to battle, Janine?" 

"Yes, challenger, I am. We will use three Pokemon total, one at a time." 

"Alright then. After you." 

"Hypno, go!" 

"Dratini, you're first." 

"Hypno, use Hypnosis!" 

"Dratini, Dragonbreath!" 

Dratini struck first, paralyzing Hypno with its attack and throwing off the Hypnosis. 

"Well done, Dratini, now use Surf!" 

"Hypno, Hypnosis again!" 

Dratini struck hard with its water attack. Hypno recovered slightly and put Dratini to sleep. 

_I'll have to find out more about that sleep talk attack from Gloria, _Chris thought. "Dratini, wake up!"

"Hypno, Dream Eater." 

Dratini didn't wake up, but Hypno wasn't able to move, either. 

"Come on, Dratini!" 

"Hypno, Dream Eater." 

Dratini still didn't wake up, and Hypno did strike this time. 

"Dratini, come on!" 

"Hypno, Dream eater again." 

Dratini woke up before Hypno attacked, and lashed out with Outrage. She wasn't too happy with having had her dream eaten. 

"Nice one Dratini! Go again, and finish it!" 

"Hypno, Psychic!" 

Dratini struck before Janine was done speaking, and Hypno went down. 

"Hypno, return. Grimer, you're next. Use Sludge!" 

"Dratini, wash him away with Surf!" 

Dratini's attack overpowered the Sludge attack, and struck Grimer hard. 

"Grimer, minimize." 

"Dratini, Swift!" 

The Minimize was useless against the pinpoint accuracy of Swift. 

"Grimer, Sludge Bomb!" 

"Dratini, Dragon Rage! Finish it!" 

Dratini shot enough flames to completely engulf Grimer, knocking him out. However, the

Sludge Bomb was launched over the attack, and it struck Dratini. She was still up, but not doing well. 

"Grimer, return. Venomoth, it's up to you!" 

"Dratini, come on back. Clefairy, let's go!" 

"Venomoth, Sleep Powder." 

"Clefairy, Sing!" 

Clefairy's attack put Venomoth to sleep before he was even in range for Sleep Powder. 

"Now, Mega Punch!" 

She sent Venomoth flying into the wall with the attack, waking it back up. 

"Venomoth, Toxic!" 

"Clefairy, dodge and use Comet Punch!" 

Clefairy barely avoided the Toxic attack, and then swept past Venomoth five times with Comet Punch, hitting each time. Venomoth couldn't take it, and went down. 

"Return, Venomoth. Well done, Chris. Here is your Soul Badge, you've earned it." There was strain in Janine's voice as she handed him the badge. 

"Alright! Thank you. Only two left." 

"That was an invigorating battle. Two defeats already since I took over the gym...maybe I'm not cut out for this." The strain was more evident now. 

"Nonsense. You fought well. Your job is to test the trainers, to see if they are worthy of your badge. Losing shouldn't discourage you." 

"You're right. I had forgotten, but that is what I'm here to do. Thank you, Chris. Come over here. There's a warp tile that will send you out to the entrance." 

"Thanks, Janine. Keep working at it, and prove to yourself that you are a good leader." Chris and his team stepped on the tile, and warped to the entrance. Now he just had to go to the Pokemon center and wait for either Gloria or Rick to show up. 

When he got there, Rick was already waiting. "Chris, you're here. Good." 

"Something's wrong, isn't it Rick." 

"Um, yeah. Actually, I've got something to tell you. About our team. Our overall objective as Team Aqua is to capture Kyogre. We had thought that he was still sleeping. Apparently not, though. Archie will want to know that." Rick looked around quickly. "Come with me, Chris." He led him into one of the sleeping quarters in the Pokemon center. "I'm actually only partially loyal to Team Aqua. I actually work for the Hoenn League, and am undercover. I'm hoping that I've judged you right, or I've just nailed shut my own coffin." 

"Don't worry; I'm on your side. If Aqua is doing illegal things, I want to stop them, too." 

"Actually, it's only part of the team, but that part includes the leadership. I'm probably the highest ranked good guy on the team." 

"So, you want my help?" 

"To keep Kyogre out of the hands of those who will misuse him. You already have a bond with him, which is good. I have already reported your find to Archie, who is in Hoenn right now. He has sent back a message that we, you and me, are to go after Kyogre if at all possible."  
Chris was having a hard time believing this. "So, the two of us, alone, are to pursue and possibly capture Kyogre?" 

"No, just keep track of it. He wants Kyogre for himself." 

"Well, judging by the direction he was heading, I'd guess he's in the Sevii Islands by now." 

"Well, then I'll go there next. I have a pass for the high speed boats that go from Vermilion to the islands. However, I'll keep in touch with you, and try to get you a pass, too. For now, though, I'd suggest trying to gain some respect within the team by confronting Team Rocket in Saffron. We fight them almost as much as team Magma." 

"So, one more question. How would Archie misuse Kyogre's power?" 

"Expanding the seas. This town would be submerged, along with many others, if he succeeds."

Chris was horrified. His home would be destroyed if that happened!

Chris and Rick walked outside, and Chris saw Gloria flying in on her Skarmory. 

"Well, I've got to get going, Chris," Rick said. "I'll see you later." 

"Ok, Rick. I'll head on up to Saffron, then." 

"Good. I also need to get you your uniform, but that can wait." Rick pulled out a Pokeball, and flew off on a Fearow just as Gloria arrived. 

"Hey, Chris!" 

"Gloria! How'd it go?" 

"It took me a little while to figure him out, but the battle went pretty well. You?" 

"That was a nasty little maze, but between Gastly and Pikachu, with some help from the others, we got through, and won handily." 

"Cool. That just leaves two badges each. But how do we get to the other two gyms?" 

"I'd say Saffron first. At the very least we can try to get rid of the Rockets." 

"That should be fun, if we can do it. But the whole city has been taken under lockdown, now. They won't let anyone in or out." 

"Then we find another way in. Do you have a bike?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

"Let's ride on up to Celadon for now, to see what we can see. Maybe we can find a way in from there." 

"Ok, Chris. By the way, who was that you were talking to just before I got here?" 

"Friend named Rick. Maybe you'll get to meet him later." They both got on their bikes, and rode out to the West to Cycling Road. On the way, they defeated a few Bikers who challenged them, and told each other more about themselves. Gloria was from Cianwood, an island out in Johto, and once she was ready to begin her journey she had swum over to Olivine, on the main continent. Cianwood was forested, but you had to either climb the cliffs around town or swim to the other side to get to the woods, which she did often to train her body. She had all of the Johto gym badges already, but she hadn't been able to defeat the Elite Four, so she'd come to Kanto to train some more. 

Once they got to Celadon, she decided to show him all of her Pokemon. The one that amazed Chris the most was her Tamanta. "Oh, she's the baby form of Mantine. My mom has one, and it had an egg, and this little cutie was inside." Her other Pokemon were Skarmory, (of course) Flaffy, Beldum, Tyrogue, and a cute little Togepi. "She just hatched the other day. I got her egg from the daycare people, who said that the owner of the Pokemon that made it didn't want the egg, so they gave it to me." 

They wandered around town a little, trying to decide what to do next. Suddenly, Gloria stopped. "Hang on, listen." 

"...So, we need better security on the Game Corner basement. That offers the only passage into Saffron right now, and we want to keep that sealed. Understood?" 

"Yes, sir!" 

"Well, there's our plan," Gloria whispered. "We have to go to the Game Corner, and go through there to get to Saffron." 

"Nice catch, Gloria. Well, let's get going then." 

Chris and Gloria went over to the Game Corner, and started to look for how they could get into the basement...


	7. Rocket Game Corner

Suddenly, Clefairy jumped from Chris's shoulder and ran over to a poster on the wall. She jumped up, and hit a switch behind it. A door opened onto a staircase to the basement. "Hey, nice find, Clefairy. Gloria, over here." 

"You found it? Cool. Let's get going." 

They went down the stairs, which unfortunately only went one floor down. 

"Well, let's look around for more stairs," Gloria suggested. 

"Oh no you don't!" a Grunt called, spotting them. "You kids are getting out of here, right now." 

"You think you can stop us, Grunt. Tyrogue, Go!" 

"Raticate, teach her a lesson. Hyper Fang." 

"Tyrogue, Cross Chop!" 

As Raticate moved in to bite, Tyrogue hit it in the stomach, and sent it flying over a partition. 

"Blast. Zubat, Go! Supersonic!" 

"Pikachu, Thunderbolt!" 

Pikachu zapped Zubat before it was able to let out its attack, and it fell to the floor. 

"Well, fine then. I'll take care of you myself!" The Grunt grabbed a chair and charged towards them. 

Chris glanced at Gloria, who nodded in understanding. "Both of you, Tackle now!" They hit him hard in the stomach, and sent him into the wall. 

"He won't be getting back up for a while," Gloria commented. "I feel sorry for his Pokemon, though." 

"So do I, Gloria, but they're loyal to him. Pokemon care a lot for their trainers, good or bad. Anyways, let's keep going." 

"Hang on." Gloria ran over and got a key that she saw on the table. "We may need this later." 

They continued exploring, at one point finding an elevator. "Locked. And I doubt that your key will work. It's the wrong size." 

"Yeah, it's too big. Maybe we'll find the key later." 

They kept going, and found the stairs tucked into a corner. They went down, and were faced with another Rocket. "Huh, brats? Get lost!" 

"Let's teach this guy we're not worth messing with, Chris." 

"After you." 

"I'll take you two on simultaneously!" shouted the Grunt, pulling his Pokeballs from his belt. 

"Oh, such a big word!" Gloria gasped. 

"Now we're shaking." They both started laughing. 

"We'll see who has the last laugh. Ekans, Koffing, let's take them out." 

"Beldum, your turn. Psybeam." 

"Clefairy, let's do this. Comet Punch." 

"Ekans, Wrap! Koffing, Smog!" 

Ekans wrapped itself around Beldum, who then blasted it in the head with Psybeam. Koffing's smog clogged the field, but Clefairy still knew where he was, and hit him three times with her attack. 

"Ekans, bite it! Koffing, Self-destruct!" 

"Clefairy, use Pound, quick!" 

"Beldum, Iron Defense!" 

Beldum hardened its defense just before Ekans bit him, and Ekans hurt himself instead. Clef Pounded Koffing over towards a wall before he blew up, making it so that no one was hurt. The explosion also cleared the air. 

"Ekans, use poison fang on Clefairy!" 

"Clefairy, Mega Punch!" 

"Beldum, Psybeam!" 

Beldum flattened Ekans with the Psybeam, and Clefairy sent it flying into its trainer with Mega Punch. They both flew into the wall, unconscious. 

"Another one down. We make a good team, Chris." 

"We sure do. Hey, he dropped something." Chris walked over and picked up the card that the man had dropped. 

"Looks like a key card. Probably opens something." 

"That'd be my guess. Let's keep going, Gloria." 

The next room was full of strange panels. "What are these? Do you know, Gloria?" 

"No, I don't. The arrows probably mean something." 

Clefairy, impatient as always, jumped down to see what it was. When she stepped on it, she shot off in the direction it was pointing. 

"Ack! Clefairy, are you okay?" Chris didn't hear an answer, so he stepped on the tile to follow her. He felt a rushing sensation as he shot across the floor. Suddenly, he stopped on a different type of panel. Clefairy was standing a little in front of him, looking a little dizzy. 

"Wheee, that was fun. Can I do it again?" Clefairy asked dizzily. 

"Not right now." Chris said, walking over to her. Gloria shot in behind him. 

"That was, interesting," she stated. 

"Let's try to avoid those when possible." 

"Agreed." They wove their way in between the panels, and found some items tucked into back corners, but otherwise they couldn't get anywhere by avoiding them. 

"We'll have to scout out the path that takes us where we want to go," Chris said, and he began to look for a path to take them across the room. 

"Fortunately for us, most of these walls are short. Too bad that the panels are too big to jump across, though." Gloria wasn't looking forward to being shot around again. 

Chris looked around for a moment, and eyed out a path that would take them to the other side of the room. It involved a couple of stops, though, so they'd need to readjust from there. 

"Well, here I go." Chris stepped on, and slid across the floor, turning a couple of times along the way, and ended up right where he'd planned. "Hey, Gloria, it's not as bad the second time!" 

"I hope you're right!" She suddenly became a blur as she stepped onto the tile. "Wow, you're right. That time it was sort of fun." 

"Good. This one looks like our next shot. It takes us to that clear area over there." Chris pointed across the room to where he'd traced they would end up. Clefairy wanted to go again, and jumped onto the tile. Pikachu followed this time, tired of just riding from his shoulder. They both shot off, and Chris followed them. A little too closely, since they were still on the stop tile when he got there. He tripped on them, and they all fell over. Then Gloria shot through and tripped over Chris's legs, landing on top of him. They all started laughing at it as they got up and brushed themselves, but Clefairy and Pikachu noticed that the humans were both blushing. 

"Here's the last shot. It will take us through that gap in the wall into the next room." 

"Ok. I'll go first this time." Chris watched Gloria take off, waited a moment, and then followed, with Pikachu and Clefairy riding again this time. 

In the next room was another guard, but he was sleeping with his head on a table. As Chris entered, Gloria was sneaking over to grab a sheet of paper next to him. She grabbed it, and they both left the room through another door. 

"Looks like a floor plan of this place. There are four floors, apparently, and for some reason the elevator doesn't stop on this one." 

"I'd guess that we need to go to this office on the fourth floor down. There's a weird mark on the wall there." He pointed to what he was talking about. 

"Looks like that area is divided in two, with different stairs leading to one area, and the elevator to the other." 

"Well, let's see what's down there. The next set of stairs is right here." Chris opened another door, and they went down. 

The third floor was uneventful, and fairly small. They found a few items, including an abandoned hat, and then headed down the stairs, hoping there was someone down there with a key for the elevator. 

"Well, what do we have here? A pair of sweethearts?" the woman started laughing at them. 

"Oh shut up, lady," said Gloria, annoyed with the woman's attitude. "Skarmory, Go!" 

"Cubone, your turn!" Chris didn't like her tone, either. 

"Arbok, Raticate, take care of them! Both of you use Bite!" 

"Skarmory, use Steel Wing on Raticate!" 

"Cubone, Bonemerang on Arbok!" 

Raticate ended up Biting the Steel Wing, and broke its teeth in the process. Skarmory rammed him into the wall to finish him. Arbok never got close enough to bite. It was sent flying with the first hit. The return trip of the Bonemerang instead hit the trainer in the back of the head, knocking her out, too. 

"Hey, she's got a key, alright." Gloria ran over and picked it up. 

"Um, Gloria, what was with that reaction to what she said?" 

Gloria blushed. "It was none of her business, that's what." 

"Oh, ok." Chris started blushing, too. 

They just stared at each other for a long moment, and then Clefairy snapped them out of it by running up the stairs. 

"Hey, wait for us, Clefairy!" Chris called. 

"Yeah. I'm the one with the key!" They dashed after her. 

They used the elevator key to go to the fourth floor. They grabbed a Max Elixir off of a table in front of the office before going in. Inside, they found an executive. 

"So, you two are the ones who have been messing with our security. Well, your penetration ends here. I won't let you get into Saffron. Arbok, Kangaskhan, deal with them." 

"Flaffy, let's do it! Thunder Punch Kangaskhan!" 

"Gastly, your turn! Use Night Shade on Arbok!" 

"Arbok, Bite! Kangaskhan, Dizzy Punch!" 

Flaffy's punch hit home, and she ducked under the Dizzy Punch. Gastly used Night Shade, and Arbok's attack was knocked off course, so it bit the wall instead. 

"Arbok, Glare! Kangaskhan, Mega Kick!" 

"Flaffy, Thunder Wave!" 

"Gastly, Hypnosis!" 

Arbok glared right into Gastly's Hypnosis, and went out like a light. Flaffy's Thunder Wave stunned Kangaskhan in its tracks. 

"Flaffy, finish with another Thunder Punch!" 

"Gastly, Dream Eater!" 

The executive didn't even get a chance to tell his Pokemon what to do. Gastly KO'ed Arbok with the Dream Eater; and Flaffy send Kangaskhan flying with her attack, right into the executive, pinning him against the wall. 

"This...isn't...over." The admin said before he passed out. 

"We did it, Chris!" 

"Oh, yeah! Nice teamwork." 

"Hey, there's a slot over here on the wall," Clefairy called. "Try the key card in it." 

Chris scanned the key card, and a small door opened on the wall, revealing another key hole. 

"Gloria, the other key." 

"Right." She put it in and turned it. The wall slid apart, revealing a passage. 

"Well, looks like this probably heads to Saffron. Let's go." They both started walking down the passage, with their Pokemon following behind…


	8. Rockets in Saffron

Chris and Gloria reached the end of the tunnel and found themselves in the basement of Sylph Co. 

"So, they dug their tunnel straight into their target. Allows pretty easy penetration, I have to say." 

"Well, Chris, after you're done admiring our enemies' strategy, I suggest we keep moving." 

"If we can, let's get out and head to the Pokemon center. Our Pokemon may need a little rest." 

"Good call. Hey, check this stuff out. Sylph has some really neat gadgets down here." 

"And these are probably the leftovers and throwaways. Or maybe defective products." 

"Well then, let's keep moving. I don't want a defective product to give us away." 

"Gloria, there's a door over there. Let's go see where it leads." They walked over to the door, which opened onto some stairs. At the top of the stairs were two more doors. One led out of the building, and the other led into the main lobby. 

"Don't tell me that Sylph is laid out like that Rocket base, with the staircases all over the place." 

"I doubt it, Chris. That would create a serious fire hazard, and since the chairman's office is on the top floor, that would be very bad." 

"Ok, then. That's reassuring. Though the Rockets are bound to have the stairs well guarded." 

"For now, let's just worry about getting to the Pokemon center." 

"Here, let's just prop this door open slightly. That way we don't have to worry about using the front door." 

Chris poked his head out, then grabbed a stick from the ground and wedged it into the door jamb. It worked, allowing them access back into the building. They quickly headed over to the Pokemon center, unnoticed in the nearly empty streets. 

"Man, this place is deserted," Gloria commented. "Really kind of sucks." 

"I know. Well, we're here. Let's go heal our Pokemon." Chris pushed open the doors, and Gloria followed. 

"Help!" 

"Quiet, you!" 

Rockets were swarming all over the place, having seized the Pokemon center for themselves. One had just grabbed Nurse Joy after she had called for help. 

"Hey, let go of her, Rocket Jerk!" 

"Oooh, lookey here, boys. We got a couple of toughies ready to take us on." The speaker looked to be the leader of the squad. 

"Yeah, we're tough, bully. Wanna try us?" Gloria got into a fighting pose. She looked like she knew very well what she was doing. 

"Do you have the guts, Rocket slime?" Chris took off his hat, and pulled out a collapsible wooden sword. He flicked his wrist, and it extended and locked. He entered his own fighting stance, ready to go. 

A couple of the Rockets were intimidated by that, but most of them looked even more eager to fight. 

"So, is this a human battle, or a Pokemon battle?" the Rocket leader asked, licking his lips. 

"Both!" Chris and Gloria shouted at the same time. They both threw their Pokeballs, and their eleven Pokemon came forward. 

"Ok, you guys, I won't be telling you what to do this time," Chris told his Pokemon, "so take care of yourselves and each other. And remember who's on your team!" 

"Um, yeah, what he said. Let's do this!" Gloria's rallying cry sent them forward, against the Rockets and the Pokemon they'd already called out. 

"Come on, Grunts! We outnumber them! Get to it!" Their leader led the charge forward, and the fight began in earnest. Gloria did indeed know what she was doing, using hands and feet as weapons. At one point Chris noticed her do a spinning handstand, kicking at least three Rockets in the process. 

He, of course, knew very well how to use his tribal sword. He was laying waste all around him, hitting heads, wrists, shins, and other places to take men out of the fight. The few women Rockets in the room wisely stayed out of the fight, marshalling the Pokemon instead. 

Their Pokemon were holding their own very well. Togepi, Tamanta, Clefairy, and Cubone had formed a small box formation, and were keeping the others away fairly well. Gloria's two baby Pokemon packed quite a punch. Or Headbutt, in Togepi's case. Pikachu teamed up with Flaffy, and the two of them zapped anything that came their way, and any Zubats they caught sight of. Gastly, Dratini, and Skarmory formed a delta formation, flying around and hitting the enemies any time they could. Beldum and Tyrogue were back to back, dealing heavy damage to the Pokemon that came their way. They all took some attacks, but for the most part they defended themselves and each other well. Except for once when Dratini was accidentally hit by one of Flaffy's Thundershocks, but she shook it off and kept going. 

Suddenly, Chris heard Gloria cry out. One of them had managed to get her from behind, and she couldn't get free, though she kept kicking at others coming from the front. Chris stepped onto the back of a man he'd just hit in the shins, jumped off of him, and hit the man hard on the head, sending him crumpling to the ground. 

"Thanks, Chris." Gloria said, and then sent a punch over his shoulder into the face of another Rocket. 

All of the Rockets' Pokemon were down by this point, so their Pokemon were starting to attack the humans. Cubone managed to bounce a Bonemerang off of four heads in a row, knocking out the four women who had been staying back. 

Chris looked around, and saw that all of the Rockets, and their Pokemon, were down for the count, either injured or unconscious. 

"Oh, thank you so much you two. I'm so glad that you came." 

"Oh, it was no problem, Nurse Joy. But would you mind healing these guys? They really need it after that fight." Chris indicated their Pokemon, who were all breathing heavily. 

"Oh, no problem. Are you two okay with getting these thugs out of here?" 

"I'll help with that, actually." 

They turned as a woman and a man walked into the center.

"Oh, Sabrina!" Joy cried. "I was starting to think that something had happened to you." 

"Actually, they somehow managed to disrupt my psychic powers, and had been holding me until recently. But something damaged the power to the disruptor, and I escaped." 

"She's got me to thank for that," the man said. Dressed in a karate uniform with a blackbelt, they assumed that he was King, the former Saffron Gym leader. 

"Indeed I do. Thank you." 

"Don't worry about it too much, Sabrina," He laughed. "I still feel responsible for things in this town, even though my gym isn't official anymore." 

"Well, lucky for me that you don't resent that. Anyways, we should help these two get these thugs out of here." 

"My pleasure. You two kids took these guys out all on your own?" 

"No, our Pokemon helped, of course." Gloria laughed at her own joke, and the others joined in. She and Chris worked on getting the fallen Pokemon out, leaving the humans to the Karate King and the Gym Leader. Their own Pokemon had all followed Joy back to get healed.   
It only took them a matter of minutes to get them all out.

"The challenge now is keeping them out," King stated. 

"No, sir, it's not. Gloria and I came here to get the Rockets out of Saffron, and we will. They cannot be allowed to continue their reign of terror here, and they can't be allowed to get what they want." 

"What they want, Chris, is the Master Ball," Sabrina told them. "It's a recent Sylph invention which the Chairman is fortunately still withholding from Giovanni. 

"Giovanni. You mean the Viridian Gym Leader?" They asked the question at the same time, causing Sabrina and King to stare. 

"Yes, the very same. He uses his gym as a base of operations for Team Rocket. Even I wasn't able to discern that, though, until he made his move. And he'd prepared well. He'd already brought in with him the machine that held me. Most of the police force had been infiltrated by Rockets, and those few who were left are being held in their own prison. He also had many of the Sylph scientists on his payroll, which you'll probably also have to fight on your way up. Just as a side note, the elevator and main stairs up to the 11th floor, where the Chairman's office is, do not actually have access to that office. You'll have to use Sylph's teleport pads to get to it." 

"Great, more weird floor machines." Gloria rolled her eyes. 

"Well, I believe in you two kids," King said heartily. "Go there and kick some butt. I've tried, twice, and haven't gotten far before my Pokemon were beaten and I had to take a hasty retreat. But you kids can do it, I'm sure. Me and Sabrina'll stay here to keep this place clean of Rockets." 

"Here's your Pokemon, good as new." Joy came back with all of the Pokemon, who looked very happy indeed. "Good luck to you all. I believe in you." 

"We all do," Sabrina added. "I'll monitor your status, and will try to teleport you out if you are having a hard time. But I might not be able too, so bring lots of supplies." 

"Thank you, all of you." Gloria was very determined to do this. 

"We won't let you down." Chris was ready to go too, and he reached over and grabbed Gloria's hand. They dashed out, their Pokemon following, and headed back to cleanse Sylph of those blasted Rockets…


	9. Warp Tiles

As Chris and Gloria approached Silph Co., they had their Pokemon return to their balls. Even Pikachu and Clefairy went, this time. Chris hadn't meant to pull those two out, but they went in almost eagerly. Maybe they wanted to surprise opponents better, or maybe their attitudes had just changed since they had been traveling together. 

The back door was still propped open when they got there, which was good. They opened the door, removed the stick, and went into the main part of the building. The main lobby was completely empty. 

"Guess they think that the guards on the doors will be enough." 

"Well then, Gloria, let's go prove them wrong." 

They went over to the main stairs, and headed up to the second floor. The guard there was asleep. Gloria struck him hard, so that he stayed asleep. "We don't want him behind us, do we?" 

"Of course not. Nice move, actually." 

"Thanks. Looks like there's a group of them up on the next floor, though. Let's go check out these teleporters." 

They headed into the main area of the floor, which looked to be a meeting room. There didn't seem to be anybody there. 

"Hey, Gloria, there's a warp tile over here." 

"Well, let's see where it takes us." They stepped on together, and found themselves in a small room with vending machines. 

"Dang, the door's locked. We'll have to go back." 

"Hang on a sec, Glo, I thought I heard something." 

Chris walked around to the side of the vending machines. A woman was hiding back there. "AAAH! Please, don't hurt me!" 

"Don't worry, ma'am," Gloria told her, "we're here to help. We're going to get the Rockets out of here." 

"Oh really? What a relief. Here, I have something that might be useful. I managed to keep my key card from them; that's how I locked myself in here." 

"Ok, thanks. We'll lock it again behind us." 

"And we'll make sure someone comes to find you once things calm back down," Chris said as they left. 

"Thank you, both of you. Good Luck!" 

Chris and Gloria left the room, and locked the door as they said they would, and found themselves back in the same meeting room. 

"Well, at least now we can open doors. Let's see what's in here." Chris went over to a nearby door and opened it. Unfortunately, it was occupied. 

"Hey, you kids shouldn't be in here." 

"And you are?" Chris asked. 

"A scientist. What does it look like?" 

"Well, then you won't mind letting us pass so that we can get the Rockets out of here," Gloria said, walking to do just that. 

"Actually, girl, I do mind. I'm on their side." 

"Well then, _sir_, we'll just have to get past you the hard way," Chris said, grinning. 

"I doubt it. Magnemite, Magneton, Go!" 

"Cubone, Bonemerang. Take them down." 

Gloria didn't even bother to call out a Pokemon, since she had seen Cubone at work. He did indeed take them both down, before their trainer even issued an order. He nearly broke apart the Magneton, and the lone Magnemite was easy pickings for the return trip of the Bonemerang. "He really controls that Bonemerang well, doesn't he, Chris?" 

"He sure does. Anyways, Scientist, are you going to let us through, or do you want to fight us yourself?" Chris reached into his pocket for the sword, and Gloria got into her fighting stance. Cubone was tapping his bone on one palm, ready to smack something with it. 

The man started to turn pale, and he fainted completely as Chris extended the sword. Chris called Cubone back to his ball, and they walked past him to the teleport panel. "Let's see where this one takes us." 

"Hang on, Chris, I've got an idea." Gloria grabbed a pad and pencil from the desk and drew a rough map of the floor. "We've already seen what all's on this floor, but there's still nine more to go. We can use this to keep track of where teleporters send us, too." 

"Nice one, Gloria." As she finished, they stepped onto the tile, and warped. They found themselves in an empty hallway.

Gloria looked at a plaque on the wall. "According to this, we're on the fourth floor." She drew the hallway, marking the doors, on a new page. "Fortunately, they've got these windows so we can see what corner or side we're on," she said, pointing out at Vermillion Harbor. Chris found himself wondering if the ship he had come on was still docked there. 

"Yeah, that will help with making that map. It's no good to run out of space." They went to the end of the hall, and saw that there were a ton of Rockets at the end of the adjoining hall, over by the stairs. "Well looks like a door, then." Chris walked to the door closest to the corner and opened it. There wasn't anyone inside, just an empty table and a warp tile, and another door. 

"I'd say the door first. We can warp if we need to later." 

"Good thinking, Glo. I got it." The next room looked much the same, though the door was on a different wall. 

"Oops. Dang," Gloria called from behind him. "I dropped my pencil, and it rolled onto the warp tile." 

"Um, Gloria, come here." Chris was starting to laugh. 

"What is it?" Chris pointed into the room he'd just opened. There, on the floor next to the teleporter, was her pencil. 

"So it warps between these two adjacent rooms? Kind of pathetic, really." She went over and got her pencil, and sketched in the new room. 

"Well, I'll get this door now, too." Chris opened it, and walked into a longer room, as long as the other two combined. There were a few people in there, and two Rockets, one by each door. 

Meaning that Chris was right next to one of them. "Hey, you shouldn't be here!" the man grabbed for Chris, but he dodged. 

"Oh yeah? Says who?" Chris pulled out his sword and hit the man in the head, sending him to the ground in a heap. He turned to see the other rocket on a radio. "Oh no you don't!" He threw his sword, and hit the man's arm, causing him to drop and break the radio. 

"Well kid, they at least know you're here, if not where." 

"So, they're looking for us. Swell." Gloria opened the door next to the man and punched him hard in the jaw, followed by a kick to the stomach and a chop to the head to send him to the floor twitching. 

"How did you..." 

"There was another key in the notepad. So now we can do things like that. Anyways, let's untie these people." They did so, and were greatly thanked for their aid. 

"Hey, I don't know if this will help," one man said, "but I heard them talking about how a lady has blockaded herself into the sleeping quarters up on the fifth floor. You could rest yourselves and your Pokemon there if you can get to her." 

"Thank you. We'll do that. Can you take care of yourselves from here?" 

"Yeah, I think so." They had moved the unconscious Rockets into the side room, and Chris had retrieved his sword. "If one woman can blockade herself in the sleeping quarters, our group can easily hold this room." 

"One more thing; where does this teleporter take us?" Gloria asked, pointing to the one in the corner. 

"Up to the ninth floor. Can you make sure it's clear up on that end?" 

"Can do. We'll see you guys later." Chris and Gloria stepped onto the teleporter. 

They found themselves in another office, with only one door. "Should be pretty easy to keep the Rockets out of here." 

"That's what I was thinking." They turned, and saw that the man from before had teleported after them. "I can hold this spot easily. Especially since the Rockets haven't given the warp tiles much thought since they got here." He made a fist and grinned. 

"Ok then, we'll leave this to you," Chris said as they went into the adjoining office, which had two doors out, and shut that one behind them. 

"Man, there seems to be a warp tile in every room here," Gloria observed blithely. 

"Probably is. Though it really doesn't make a lot of sense." 

"Not really. Well, let's keep going Chris." 

They opened one of the doors, which opened onto a back hallway by the windows.  
"Point of reference, at least." She saw Mt. Moon, and knew that they now faced northwest. 

"Whoa!" Chris pulled Gloria back into the room as he saw a Rocket come out of the next door down. "Looks like they're patrolling now." 

"Well, then there should be less of them by the stairs. Which should be to the left out this door." As she walked over to it, a Rocket suddenly appeared on the warp tile. 

"Hah! Found you." 

"And you'll wish you hadn't," Gloria said as she began to attack him. The man blocked Gloria's punches, though, and returned with a kick aimed at her head. She barely got under that, but she used it against him by kicking his other leg out from under him. He fell, but recovered quickly. 

"You see, girl, I've also trained in the martial arts..." The man fell silent as Chris struck him in the head. 

"Thanks for that, Chris. Um, what's that blinking light on his belt?" 

"My guess: a transponder. They know where we are now." Chris's guess was confirmed by both doors suddenly bursting open...


	10. Silph Cleaning Co

The two of them immediately leapt into action, having a slight advantage over the crowds of Rockets trying to fight their way in. Chris couldn't move his sword without hitting someone, they were so tightly packed in, and Gloria's attacks always connected, even if not with the intended target. 

"We can't do this for long, Chris." 

"I know. I barely have room to swing." 

"Then let's get out of here." The two of them backed up until they were back to back. Then they sidestepped onto the warp tile, and found themselves in the hallway outside of the room. 

"Blast, not where we wanted to end up. In here, quick." Chris darted over to the door he'd seen the one Rocket come out of earlier and opened it. They found themselves in a storeroom. "Great, a dead end." 

"There has to be a tile in here somewhere. Look for it." 

They both went opposite ways around the crates, picking up a few useful items as they passed. They met up on the other side, unsuccessful. 

"Where is it?" Gloria asked, puzzled. 

"Maybe surrounded by these crates. Let's go over the top."  
Gloria responded to Chris's suggestion by jumping right up onto the crates. Chris couldn't quite do that, so he climbed up instead, with a helping hand from Gloria. 

"Well, let's hope we're right. They're already in here." 

"Stay low, so they don't see us." Chris followed his own advice by going down on his stomach, and taking off his hat, compressing it so as not to stand out. The two of them crawled across the crates to an open spot in the grid. 

"Here it is, Chris." Gloria called in an excited whisper. "Hang on, I just remembered something." Gloria pulled off her pack and pulled out a pair of padded leather gloves with metal studs. "Should have put these on earlier." 

"Cool, then let's get going. Anywhere will be better than here," he said as they dropped down. 

Unfortunately, he was wrong. The teleporter led them right into a room that was being used as a barracks by the Rockets. But they did have the element of surprise this time. Before the Rockets could start to attack, they brought out their Pokemon, ready for another all out battle. The Pokemon got back into their groups from before, ready to take on any opponents. 

Most of the Rockets sent out their Pokemon, but a few of them just ran away instead. None of them were willing to get in close themselves, though. So Chris and Gloria found themselves up against an array of Pokemon to fight against. It was all of the same typical Rocket Pokemon, too, meaning that they weren't really hard to take down. Cubone immediately set to work bouncing his Bonemerang off of as many Ekans and Arbok as he could, and Pikachu and Flaffy started zapping the Zubat and Golbat. Chris started using the Koffing and Wheezing as baseballs, smacking them into crowds of Rockets where they would Selfdestruct. Gloria took on some Raticate, at one point grabbing one by the tail and hitting it into its comrades before flinging it into the crowd of Rockets. Skarmory, Dratini, and Gastly focused in on the humans right away, as well as one or two enemy Gastly that were thrown into the fray. Clefairy, Togepi, and Tamanta focused on the Ratata, and anyone else that came at them. 

Before too long, all of the Pokemon were down, as well as many of the trainers. The rockets were really getting mad, and those remaining came in to finish the job. They were met with the same attacks their Pokemon had faced. The humans went down even easier than their Pokemon had. In a matter of minutes, every Rocket still in the room was unconscious. 

"Hey, nice work guys," Chris told the Pokemon. 

"Oh, yeah. We rock!" Gloria thrust her fist into the air as their Pokemon called out in consent, all of them happy with their victory. 

"Hey, you two, over here!" They turned, and saw a woman motioning to them from a doorway. "Get in here, quick!" 

They did, and found themselves in a room full of beds. "So, you're the one that there are rumors about." 

"Yeah, I've been able to hold out in here since those guys showed up. My name's Jen. What are yours?" 

"I'm Gloria, and this is Chris. We came to get these thugs out of this place." 

"Well, that's good. They need to be gotten rid of, that's for sure." 

"Hey, Jen, how exactly have you been holding them out, anyways?" Chris was getting his hat back to normal, and put it back on his head. 

"Well, I have my own Pokemon, and when they get hurt, I rest them in here, or use this computer to swap them with others. This is the only room in the building without a Teleporter, too, other than the Director's office, which has one in the hall outside of it." 

"Well, that's where we need to get to, to finish this." 

"First, rest for a little bit. Then I'll give you directions to the Director's office. You've used quite a bit of energy just from what I've seen, and you'll need all of it to get rid of their Boss." 

Chris and Gloria couldn't object, especially since they themselves were probably the most tired out of their team. So they and their Pokemon settled in to rest, with Jen still guarding the door. Some of the Pokemon used the beds, but others either lay on the floor or slept standing up. Clefairy, Togepi, and Tamanta shared a bed together, having grown a strong bond between them while fighting, with Cubone on the floor next to them, also part of that bond. Skarmory perched on the end of one of the beds, which Dratini curled up onto, and Gastly rested floating above it. Flaffy and Pikachu settled in on a rug next to each other, and Chris and Gloria each took their own beds on either side of that rug. They rested well, and awoke an hour or so later, ready to face their next challenge...

Chris, Gloria, and their Pokemon got ready to confront Giovanni. Jen was writing directions on Gloria's notepad map, which she had filled out while they slept. 

"Part of why they wanted to get me out of here was because of how close it is to the main route to the Chairman's office. 4 teleports will get you there from here." She handed the pad back to Gloria. 

"Hey, thanks Jen." 

"We owe you for this." 

"Hey, think nothing of it. Especially since you'll be saving all of us if you succeed. Good luck!" 

The two of them walked out of the room, their Pokemon back in their balls. Chris was carrying his sword at the ready, and Gloria had her studded gloves on. "Let's do this, Chris." 

"You've got the map, so let's go." 

They went over to another door out of the now-vacant barracks. Apparently the Rockets hadn't thought that they'd stuck around. 

"These Rockets aren't very smart, are they Chris." 

"Not really. The leaders probably are, but these grunts are doing this to get an easy way through life by way of crime." 

"Good point. Let's get going before our luck changes." Through the door was a hallway to nowhere. Chris noticed the shadow of a guard standing around the corner at the end of the hall. He put a finger to his lips and snuck along the wall. He then stepped out, and smacked the guard on the head, sending him to the floor before he knew what hit him. 

"Well, Chris, here's the first warp tile," Gloria said, looking at her map 

"The only purpose for this hallway is to get you to this tile," Chris commented. "These guys need a better architect. They really wasted space in here. And a stand alone like this is a giveaway that it's important. Let's head through." They warped into a conference room, with a large table in the middle. 

"Where the Chairman meets with the board, I'd assume. Well, there's no one here, so let's keep moving. The next warp is back here, where the Chairman comes in." Gloria led the way to a very small room in the back, which had the obvious purpose of bringing in the Chairman. 

"Did Jen really include all of those details on the map?" 

"Yeah. She's on the board, which is why she knows." 

The next warp took them into an office that had once been orderly. "Probably sacked in the overtaking. I'd guess that this is where he keeps meeting notes, and maybe where he eats, too. Jen has never been past here, but knows what to expect. There's a hallway that leads straight into his main office and suite. He supposedly lives in there." 

"Well then, where's the Teleporter?" 

"She doesn't know. She's never seen it. So we'll have to find it." 

"Well then, we'd better start looking." Chris and Gloria started to look through the room for the warp tile. 

"The only clutter on it would have come from the other side, it should be pretty clear." 

"You'd think that, but Giovanni probably realized that and could have easily covered it from the other side. Keep looking, Glo, we have to find it." 

Suddenly a Rocket warped in from the way they'd come. "So this is where you got to. I'll get such a big bonus for this!" 

"Yeah right, punk." Gloria punched him in the face, and then rammed her knee into his crotch, sending him to the floor. She used her foot to roll him back onto the warp tile, and away. "Can't make it _that_ easy to find us." 

"Hey, I found it!" Chris called. "It's under the desk here." 

"Well, that's kind of good. But we can't get to it under there. We'd have to move the desk first." 

"Well, then let's try." They both moved to one end and started to push the table. It barely moved. 

"Dang, it's stuck, look." Gloria pointed to the two ruts in the floor that it was stuck in. "And too low to get under, at least for the two of us." 

"Well, I do have another idea..." Chris grabbed his wooden sword, and grabbed the blade. Gloria heard a small click, and the edge of the sword peeled off, revealing a metal blade. 

"Wow, that thing conceals a real sword? How?" 

"I only use this when necessary; this will be its first use in quite a while. My people have some pretty good technology on our little island. I'll tell you about this blade later, if you tell me about your gloves." Chris climbed onto the table and made a long slash across it in front of him. He jumped off as his half started to sink under his weight. The other half was forced backwards, and it fell over onto its side, revealing the warp tile. "I hope the Chairman doesn't mind loosing his desk." 

"That thing probably took at least two or three Rockets to put there." Gloria observed. "Nice work, Chris. Let's go!" 

The teleporter did indeed lead them to a hallway. Which was infested with Rockets, who were ready to fight. "Men, let's get them!" an Admin called. 

"OK guys, come out and let's go!" Chris and Gloria sent out their Pokemon, and joined the fray. Chris had put the wooden part back on his sword, since killing wasn't part of the plan, and he and Gloria fought back to back. He felt so natural, fighting alongside her. At one point, she hooked her arm up under his, and he leaned forwards to help flip her over him to kick the men in front of him, while he spun back the way she had been facing to thrust into another's stomach. He'd never even used that kind of signal, but the reaction had come naturally. Another time, he hooked his arm into hers, and pulled her into a spin above him as he leaned back, causing her to kick all of the men within her reach in the head. She flowed with it like she'd done it a thousand times, alternating her legs so that the momentum could be kept. 

Their Pokemon worked in their own tandems. Pikachu and Flaffy had their tails together, allowing both to strike with more power than they did normally. Dratini, Skarmory and Ghastly made a variety of combination moves together, from Skarmory using Dratini as a whip while Ghastly drew the targets attention, to Dratini igniting Skarmory's wings with Dragonbreath while Ghastly gave her an extra push of speed. The other four also worked together closely. Tamanta used a water pulse to add extra damage and velocity to Cubone's Bonemerang. Clefairy at one point picked up Togepi and swung her around as she used Headbutt to hit a group of enemies. Togepi also rode on the Bonemerang once, jumping off to hit a Rocket hard with Headbutt, then bouncing and hitting another, then another before landing back on the returning bone to ride back. Clefairy once rode on one of Tamanta's Water Gun attacks for an extra boost for her Comet Punch. 

Before long, all of the Rockets had fallen, again. "These guys really need to train more, don't they, Chris." 

"You've got that right, Gloria. Let's go confront Giovanni!" They all went to the end of the hall, and opened the door to the Chairman's suite...


	11. Giovanni

"So, someone came to challenge me, and got past my henchmen," Giovanni observed as they entered the room. "Why are henchmen so unreliable?" 

"Um, because they don't train, Giovanni," Gloria said, tightening her gloves. 

"Do you want to do this peacefully, or are you going to make us do it the hard way?" Chris asked, flourishing his sword. 

"Hm, two against one. Tell you what. I have two of my Earth badges here, let's have a gym battle. As an added bonus, if you win, I'll pull out. If I win, however, I get what I came here for." 

"Mr. Chairman, is that good with you?" Gloria turned to the man who was strapped into a chair next to Giovanni. 

"Yes, I will agree to that. Since otherwise he may well get it anyways." 

"Ok then, we'll do a doubles battle. You each get to use three Pokemon, while I use six for the same total. Two on the field at a time, one from each of you, so even if one of you has lost all three and the other still has one in reserve, you cannot use it." 

"Deal. Ready Gloria?" 

"Let's do it, Chris. Skarmory, go!" 

"Dratini, go!" 

"Kangaskhan, Dodrio, time to fight!" 

The four Pokemon faced off, ready to fight. 

"We'll leave this up to you two," Chris said calmly. 

"You can do it! Take them out!" Gloria shouted. 

"Letting your Pokemon decide what to do? Foolish children. Dodrio, Tri Attack on Dratini. Kangaskhan, use Dizzy Punch on Skarmory." 

Dratini and Skarmory pulled out their Dragon Wing combo, with Dratini infusing a Steel Wing with Dragonbreath. Dratini dodged the Tri Attack, and Skarmory blasted past the Dizzy Punch to hit Kangaskhan with high force. Kangaskhan was flung across the room, into the wall, and didn't get back up. 

"The admin we fought had a Kangaskhan, too, and I just realized that neither had a baby in its pouch." Gloria was baffled by that, and slightly worried. 

"Of course not," Giovanni stated calmly, as if this was a regular battle on a city street. "They're males. They will carry a child if there are multiple births, but otherwise they don't bother. Next up, Tauros! Horn Attack. Dodrio, Tri Attack again." 

This time, Skarmory and Dratini used Slam Whip. Skarmory dove at Dodrio, with Dratini in its claws. Suddenly, he jerked to a stop, whipping Dratini forward as she pulled into a Slam attack. Dodrio was sent tumbling across the floor, and left three dents in the wall that it hit face first. It didn't even try to get back up. Tauros hit Dratini hard with its Horn Attack, though. The Tri Attack, on the other hand, had bounced off of Skarmory's wings during her dive. 

"Blast. Well, Arbok, you're next! Poison Tail. Tauros, Horn Attack again." 

Dratini and Skarmory attacked on their own this time, hitting Tauros with an Iron Wing and a Surf attack. However, he remained standing, and hit Dratini hard with his attack. Arbok also hit Dratini, and she went down. 

"Dratini, are you okay?" She nodded weakly as Chris picked her up. "Cubone, you're next!" 

"Tauros, Fissure! Arbok, Bite that bird!" 

Skarmory picked Cubone up before Tauros attacked, rendering its Fissure useless. From her back, Cubone threw his bonemerang, hitting Tauros square in the jaw, and knocking him out. Arbok bit Skarmory before Cubone curved his attack around to hit it in the back, knocking it out as well. Skarmory looked a little hurt, but not bad. 

"Damn you kids. Two in one round. Well, Nidoking, Nidoqueen, it's up to you. Use Hyper Beam on that blasted bird!" 

Cubone jumped off so that he wasn't hit by the blasts, and threw another Bonemerang, hitting both of his opponents. Neither fell, however, while the same could not be said for Skarmory. 

"Oh, Skarmory! Flaffy, help Cubone finish this!" Gloria ran over to where Skarmory lay on the floor. Dratini had recovered a little, and slid out of Chris's arms to join them. 

"Now, use Fissure, both of you!" 

Cubone and Flaffy were both already attacking. Flaffy had given the Bonemerang an electric charge, and both enemies were zapped when they were hit. This time, they both went down, hard. 

"Damn you both." 

"Well, looks like we've won, Giovanni. So hand over the badges and leave, as we agreed." 

"You want these?" Giovanni held up the badges. "Not likely. I'm not about to let a couple of kids ruin my dreams. I was saving this as a last resort, but I'd say that now applies." Giovanni pulled his other hand out of his pocket. He had a gun in it. He fired. 

"Aaaaah!" Gloria screamed as she was hit by the bullet. 

"Gloria! No!" Chris felt as if time slowed down. He pulled out his sword, and removed the protective cover, letting it clatter to the floor. "You will pay for that!" Chris darted forward, straight at Giovanni, his blade bare. Giovanni shot him, in the shoulder, but he didn't care. He jumped up to the table, kicking the gun from the man's hand, and brought down his sword. Giovanni saw it coming, and dodged slightly, so Chris didn't kill him. He did, however, cut off his left arm, causing Giovanni to howl in pain. 

"Chris!" 

He turned, and saw Gloria, holding her own shoulder where the bullet had hit her. His blood-rage abated, and he let his arm fall. 

"Blast it all. You win." Giovanni was holding his stump with the other hand, leaving his gun where it had fallen. "We'll leave, but don't think that we're beaten." The lights suddenly went out for a moment, and when they came back on, Giovanni was gone. Chris jumped off the table, letting his sword drop. He started to walk over to where Gloria was, but he suddenly started to fall. Before he passed out, a wave of pain erupted from his own wound. Darkness suddenly enveloped him…

Gloria slowly regained her feet, with Skarmory's help. As Chris jumped from the table, she saw that he had a large pool of blood coming out of his wound. Suddenly, he fell. "Chris! Are you okay?" She staggered over to him, knowing that she wasn't any better off. 

_Gloria...re yo...ere?_

"What? Who's there?" Gloria thought she heard someone say her name, but it could have been a delusion caused by her pain. 

_It'...abrin...re yo..kay? My po..s ar...ill bloc..._

"Sabrina?" Gloria was feeling light headed, and her speech slurred. 

"She was here, at one point," the Chairman said. "That machine over there in the corner interfered with her powers." He was still bound, but was moving his chair towards Chris's discarded sword, so that he could cut his own ropes. 

"Flaffy, zap it. Clefairy, help him get out." Gloria was holding Chris, holding her hand over his wound to keep it from bleeding too much. Her other hand was on her own wound, and she felt on the verge of passing out, too. 

Clefairy darted over and sliced the cords binding the Chairman. Flaffy hit the machine with a thunderbolt, as did Pikachu. It shorted out and gave off a small explosion as it fell apart.  
Suddenly, Sabrina appeared in the room, along with the Karate King. The last thing Gloria heard before passing out was the chairman "They've both been shot." Then, darkness engulfed her, too…


	12. Recovery

Chris awoke in a hospital bed, his head feeling very fuzzy. Of course, that was definitely better than being dead. He couldn't move very well, but he rolled his head over to his right. Gloria was in the next bed over, still asleep. As if his noticing her was a trigger, though, she started to stir. 

"Gloria, we made it." His voice was weak and rough, his throat dry. 

"Yeah, I guess we did. I'm so glad you're alive." Gloria sounded little better than he did, but just hearing her voice at all made Chris happy. 

"Likewise. I'd thought I'd lost you back there." 

"Well, you passed out first. I was so worried that you wouldn't make it. Of course, I blacked out soon after." 

"You two are both lucky to be alive." Sabrina walked into the room. "Your Pokemon have been worried sick about you, and wore themselves out watching you for the last 24 hours." 

"Oh, that long?" 

"Well, Glo, are you really surprised? We both got shot." 

"Here, have a drink, you two." Sabrina levitated cups to them, and helped them to drink them, since their heads were all that either of them could move. "He's right, too. As I said, you're both lucky to be alive. Either Giovanni meant to hit you where he did, or he missed both of you by the same amount, because both shots entered at nearly the exact same place in your left shoulders." Chris and Gloria just stared at each other in amazement. 

"Hey, Sabrina. Did you guys get all of our stuff out of there?" Chris turned his head forward to look at where Sabrina was sitting. 

"Yes, we've got it all." Sabrina levitated a pile of things from the foot of each bed. Chris's had his hat, his sword, with the sheath reattached, and his clothing. Gloria's gloves, pack, and her clothes made her pile. Which made both of them realize that they only wore surgery gowns and bandages, and they both blushed. 

"You two make a really cute couple." Sabrina said as she put down their stuff, and she gave a little laugh. "Anyways, according to the Chairman, you two are owed these." Sabrina pulled out the two Earth badges and put them on the table between the beds. "I also present each of you with a Marsh badge, for your valor and for having released this town from Team Rocket's grasp." She pulled out two more badges from her pockets and put them on the table. "Your Togepi spent a lot of time on this table, walking back and forth between your beds. It was quite amazing, seeing how much your Pokemon care for you. Both of you. They focused more energy on their own trainer, of course, but they have also developed a bond with the other trainer. All of those bonds are very strong, despite how short a time you have been together. I've never seen a Gastly cry before this, but when we let them all come in to see you after the surgeries, he was the first to shed tears. It must be a strong bond for you to stir a Ghosts heart." Chris turned to his other side, and saw his Pokemon lying together on the floor. He suspected that Gloria's Pokemon were on the far side of her bed. "They wore themselves out between the two of you, and finally fell asleep about two hours ago." 

The door opened again, and they were joined by King, Jen, the Chairman, and two doctors, a man and a woman. "Oh, I'm so glad that you're okay!" Jen ran over and hugged each around the neck, wary of their bad shoulders. 

"You two are really lucky to be alive," the male doctor said as he checked Chris's vitals and his IV. 

"Yeah, people keep saying that," Gloria quipped as her doctor examined her.

"Without Sabrina helping us, you two likely wouldn't have made it." The woman doctor said without looking away from her task. 

This time it was Sabrina who blushed. "I couldn't just let you die after all that you've done for us." 

"Thank you," they both said together, causing everyone to laugh a little. 

"Well, all of my employees will be glad to hear that you've recovered. Before you ask, we did get everyone accounted for, other than the known traitors. They are already planning to have a party for you, those who had a strong hope for your recovery. The others will join in on the planning later. I had quite a few of them who wanted to make sure that you knew that they were okay, despite the fact that they'd never given you their names. You've made quite a few friends in Silph." The Chairman was smiling broadly. "I, my company, and all of Saffron owe you much, and perhaps the entire world. If Giovanni had gained what he wanted, he could have gained immense power." 

"What did he want, anyways?" 

"Well, Gloria, I will tell you two about that later, as it is a bit much for now." 

"He's right. You should rest now," King said. "It goes over my head anyways." 

Chris settled back and prepared to go back to sleep, but then Gastly started to wake up. He saw that they were awake, and went around rousing the other Pokemon. They all got up, very happy to see that the two of them were okay. The smaller Pokemon got up onto the beds and onto their trainers, and the others got in close. Skarmory started nuzzling Gloria's cheek with her beak, and Dratini and Gastly hovered around above Chris. Togepi and Tamanta sat on Gloria's stomach, Flaffy on her feet, and Tyrogue and Beldum sat next to her. Pikachu and Cubone sat on Chris's legs, and Clefairy crawled onto his chest. She got a little too close to his wound, causing Chris to wince with pain. Clefairy backed off a little, thinking she'd done something wrong. 

"No, its okay Clefairy, it's just still kinda sore." 

Clefairy smiled again, and moved to his right side, snuggling into his arm. "I'm glad you're alright." 

"Well, we may be able to heal that kind of grievous wound in a few days with modern medicine, instead of weeks, but you still need to rest to let your body heal itself the rest of the way." His doctor brought over something in a vial and added it to the IV. 

"You two get some rest. We're adding some more anesthetic and some sedatives to help you sleep." Gloria's doctor was adding the same stuff to her IV. 

"Well, then, goodnight, everyone," Gloria and Chris said together. 

The two of them dozed off, and their Pokemon also went back to sleep. The doctors did a little more examining, and then everyone left them to their rest.

The next day, Chris awoke feeling very good. And needing to go to the bathroom. He noticed a curtain surrounding Gloria's bed. 

"Ah, Chris, you're awake." 

"Hey, Sabrina. What's with..." 

"The curtain? She's getting dressed. I'd assume that you want to as well." 

"Yeah, thanks." Sabrina pulled another curtain around his bed, and he slid out of the bed to stand on the floor, waking his Pokemon in the process. They looked very glad to see him standing again. He was a little shaky on his legs, and his left arm was a little sore, but he felt functional. He went to the foot of the bed and put his things onto the bed, so that he'd only need to bend down that far once. He dressed slowly, so that he wouldn't hurt himself. It definitely felt good to be dressed again. Once he was dressed--he left his hat and sword on the bed--he pulled back the curtain. Gloria had already left. 

"Hey, Sabrina, where's the bathroom?" 

"Out in the hall, to the left." 

Chris walked out, his legs regaining strength and flexibility as he used them.  
After he relieved himself, he met Gloria in the hall, coming out of the ladies' room at the same time. "Hey, how are you feeling, Glo?" 

"Shoulder is a little sore, and my legs are still a little stiff, but otherwise pretty good. You?" 

"Yeah, that about sums it up. Using my legs helps them feel better. I'm just glad to be dressed again." 

"Agreed. Those surgery robes don't offer much." 

They held hands as they walked back to their room, and sat on their beds facing one another. Sabrina had left, and their Pokemon were moving around the room, or playing with their trainers. 

"Well, we did it. We beat team Rocket, at least for now, and we got our last two badges." 

"Yeah, pretty cool. Hey Chris, you said that you'd tell me about your sword. Do you mind telling me now?" 

"Sure, if you'll tell me about your fighting skills and those gloves." She nodded, and he continued. "My island is part of an archipelago, and for centuries we would fight against the other islands. There were some good deposits of steel on the islands, so we made blades. Our island was unique, as the steel deposits there are magnetically charged lodestone. So magnetism is what holds my sword together when extended, as well as small locks in the wooden spine, which is where the hinges are. My people were feared as the most deadly assassins in the archipelago. Now, the swords have become part of tradition, and in festivals we still have fights with sheathed swords. I almost won last year, but I lost the last round when I left myself open to a finishing blow to deal a crippling one. My hat is actually a helmet, though not a great one, made from a springy mushroom on our island. It squishes if constant pressure is applied, but it rebounds a blow." 

"Wow, that's pretty cool. I had wondered about that." 

"Heh, it looks kind of funny, I know, but I'm too used to wearing it to abandon it too quickly. Plus, I use it for storage." 

"I've noticed. Well, now for my story. My father actually runs the gym on Cianwood, and uses a lot of fighting Pokemon. I grew up learning to fight with my hands and feet, from both of my parents. My mom doesn't look it, but she's actually a better fighter than my dad. She will throw him around if he causes problems." 

"Wow. And how do you fit in?" 

"I can beat my dad, but I can't throw him. I have also beaten his Poliwhirl and Machoke before, at the same time." 

"That's pretty cool, to be able to best fighting Pokemon at their own game." 

"That's how I convinced Dad to give me a badge. After mom threw him around and I kicked him a little. He's good, but he doesn't train enough, except for after a loss." 

"So that covers your skills, what about your gloves?" 

"These were a gift from Jasmine, the gym leader in Olivine, the closest city to Cianwood. We became pretty good friends from me running errands to the mainland for my parents. She had another friend elsewhere craft these special for me, with the metal studs serving also as a reminder of her, since she uses Steel Pokemon. She gave them to me after I earned her badge, as a good luck present for my journey." 

"Wow, you have pretty cool connections." 

"Thanks." They were silent for a moment. "That was really intense, the other day, what you did. Charging at him because he hurt me." 

"When you got hit, something in me snapped. I thought that I'd lost you, and I couldn't bear that thought. We've only known each other for a few days, but the things we've gone through, they built a bond. My heart was racing after we met that first day, after we parted. I, I have something that wants to come out, but I don't have the words to say it." 

"Chris, I know how you feel. I feel the same. When I saw you fall, I forced myself to you through my pain. I couldn't stand the thought of losing you. I actually was holding both of our wounds, until I passed out, one with each hand, trying to keep you alive. Only my own pain kept my other hand on my wound. My heart was also racing that day, more than a hard swim should have caused it to. The way we were fighting, sending and receiving signals we'd never used before, was amazing. I, I'm not sure what the words are, but they're there." 

They both stared into each others' eyes for a long moment, and then finally found the words.

"I love you."


	13. Abnormal Results

Chris and Gloria just stared at each other, amazed at the words they had just spoken. Then they both stood up and embraced, kissing for their first time. 

"Oh, I feel so good right now!" Gloria said once they sat back down. "Other than being lightheaded still." 

"Well, you're not alone. I feel awesome right now. It's as if I'm..." 

"Walking on clouds?" 

"Or riding through them." They both laughed. Their Pokemon had gathered around them, and were laughing too. 

"Hey, what's going on in here?" Everyone turned to look at Jen, who'd just walked in, and they started laughing harder. Cubone actually fell off of Chris's bed, and started laughing harder when he did. That got Jen to laugh, too. 

"Well, it looks like you two have recovered well. The doctors say that you can probably leave tomorrow, so we've planned the party for tomorrow evening." 

"Will there be cake?" Gloria's eyes lit up. 

"Of course. What flavor?" 

"Chocolate!" they both shouted. 

"And make sure there are fish, too, if they're serving dinner," Chris added. "I haven't had any good fish since I got here." 

"Oh, fish are so yummy! We had some really nice sport fish around Cianwood that I loved to eat." 

"The Cianwood trout? I had some of that on the ship on my way here. It was really good." 

"And it'd be really expensive to get some out here, you two," Jen scolded mockingly. 

"I don't think so, Jen. Skarmory can go and catch some. They're always best fresh." Skarmory looked as if she wanted to fly off and get some now. "Not yet, girl, tomorrow morning," Gloria said, patting her on the beak.

"Oh, okay." Skarmory nuzzled into Gloria's hand, enjoying the feel. 

"Wow, she can fly all the way out there, catch some fish, and fly back all tomorrow?" 

"Easily, Jen. She'll probably be back by lunchtime if she leaves right after breakfast, especially this time of year. Don't forget the net this time, Skarmory."

"Alright…" She didn't like the net, but she also knew that she'd need a lot of fish for a party. And just thinking about those fish…she licked her beak in anticipation. 

"Now that's interesting, her using a net." Chris was getting hungry talking about this. 

"Not to catch the fish, to bring them back in. We're going to want a lot, so she'll need the net to bring them back in. I've sent her back for some before, and she can only carry one or two in her beak if she doesn't use the net." 

"All this talk of food is really making me hungry." Chris licked his lips, ready to eat. Gloria's stomach growled, giving away that she felt the same. 

"Well, then I'll go see the doctors about getting you two some food," Jen told them, and turned for the door. 

"Already taken care of, Jen." Sabrina walked in pushing a cart of food, with some bowls of Poke-chow on the lower shelves. She levitated those to the Pokemon, who dug in eagerly. "I hope you two enjoy this. It's not much, but it should do." 

"Well, since we haven't eaten in nearly two days..." Gloria left that hanging as she eagerly dug into her meal. Chris didn't even bother to say anything first. It really was a simple meal, with some vegetables, sandwiches, and soup, but it was surprisingly filling. 

Chris commented on that. "Well, you had a bunch of nutrients being fed into your IVs, too, so it's not like you're malnourished. However, you'll probably be hungry again pretty soon. Your stomachs have probably contracted a bit, but they'll get back to normal soon enough. However, I do hope that right now you two have some room for desert." Sabrina levitated in a tray of chocolate chip cookies from on the table outside the door, and they both took one. 

"MMMM, oh they're so good! Thank you!" Gloria really liked hers, savoring it as long as she could. 

"These are coming apart like fresh from the oven. I love it! Thank you." Chris was calmer about it, but he was enjoying them, too. There were quite a few, so each of the Pokemon got their own, as well as Jen. 

"I'm glad you like them. It's been quite a while since I baked anything," Sabrina said, a bit of blush spreading through her cheeks. 

Chris had to control himself to keep his jaw from dropping. "You made them? Wow." He had to react quickly to keep part of his cookie from falling onto the bed. 

"You did really well, Sabrina," Gloria added, licking the last of the chocolate from her fingers. 

"I have Jen to thank for the recipe and ingredients." 

"No big, really. Anything to help." Jen blushed slightly at that. 

"Well, how are our patients today?" The doctors both walked into the room. 

"We're good," they said in unison. 

"You know, it's a little creepy when you two do that." The woman doctor looked slightly flustered. 

"If you think it's a side effect of the surgery, it isn't," Sabrina said. "They were doing that when I first met them." 

"It just doesn't faze us anymore," they said in unison again. That time they did laugh. "Well, usually." That time everyone started to laugh. 

"Well, if we're going to release you from our care tomorrow, you'll need to do a bit of physical therapy to get yourselves ready to go." The male doctor came to give Chris a hand up, but he was already standing by the time he got there. Gloria's doctor got there before she was standing, but she didn't use her help. Before they left, the two doctors each took one of the remaining cookies, leaving one more that Sabrina ate herself. 

Chris and Gloria spent the afternoon doing various activities, getting their bodies back into shape. Their wounds were still sore, but they didn't hamper their movement at all, though it did make it hard to lift with their left arms because of the extra strain. Their Pokemon, who had followed them in, started to work out as well, either sparring, or using some of the equipment. Chris and Gloria were surprised to see Pikachu lift a 25 pound weight, and more surprised to see Clefairy lift two. Togepi managed to get up a 10, and Cubone bench-pressed 100 pounds with Tyrogue spotting for him. They swapped, and Tyrogue did 190 easily. 

The doctors were impressed too. "You two have some really strong Pokemon there. And those weights are accurate, even if they are the size of the Pokemon using them." 

"We help to rehab seriously injured Pokemon, too, from time to time." 

Tyrogue and Cubone got into a weight lifting contest, spotting the other as he lifted his weights. Beldum helped by bringing over more weights to use. Eventually, they both maxed out, with Tyrogue beating Cubone by 20 pounds. They then shook hands and moved off to run on treadmills. 

"Um, kids, come look at this." The doctor motioned them over to the sets that the two had been lifting. "Tyrogue just fell short of lifting this. Its 250 pounds. Meaning that he got up 240 last time, and Cubone stopped at 220. Many humans can't lift that much, yet both of them did. Cubone lifted eleven times its own weight, Tyrogue twelve. Proportionally, that blows any human athlete out of the water. Even a Machamp usually lifts only about 8 times their weight." 

"No wonder your Cubone can deal so much damage with each attack. Giovanni's last two Pokemon were the only ones I've ever seen stand after that first strike from his bonemerang." 

"And I've noticed Tyrogue doing some real damage out there, during our melees. He and Beldum would be the first to attack the other humans except for the three airborne ones." 

"There's another thing. I've watched the footage of that fight, and physically, that attack shouldn't have been _able_ to hit both of them, at least with that much force. Cubone has some sort of special control over that Bonemerang, and can steer it and keep it from loosing momentum. You're other Pokemon, both of yours, also exhibit abnormal powers. Tamanta and Togepi both show far more intelligence and strength than I've ever seen in those species, especially with both being babies. They are more powerful than their evolved forms, in the average case. Clefairy has psychic abilities to rival those of a full bred Psychic Pokemon, and appears to have a special trait with its Metronome. That Dragon Wing attack that Skarmory and Dratini use shouldn't be possible, but Dratini's flames stay ignited and Skarmory isn't hurt by them, neither of which should happen. Pikachu and Flaffy both have far more strength and reserves of electrical power than their evolved forms usually have. Beldum and Ghastly both exhibit emotions normally unheard of among their species, and have more power than their evolved forms as well." 

"And he's not even mentioning you two," the other doctor added. "You both have abilities that defy rational explanation. Chris, could you compact your hat for me, please?" 

"Sure, doc." He did so, making it into a disk around his bicycle wheels. "You act like that's unusual." 

"It is. Watch this." The hat sprung back to its normal shape after a moment, and the doctor took it into another room, where there was a large press. "This hat is made from the most durable organic material known to biology. Your ancestors have used the Marilu mushroom for ages as a nearly-impenetrable defense." 

She laid it in the press and started it. The press moved onto the hat, and stopped. She pushed a button, and the machine started to add more pressure. The hat didn't compact at all. She turned off the machine and handed back the hat. 

"That machine was just applying nearly 1000 pounds of pressure on that hat, and it didn't budge. Yet Chris can crush it as easily as an aluminum can. Here, let Gloria try."  
Chris took out his possessions, and then handed the hat to Gloria. She wadded it up into a small ball. "Chris, you could do that, too, easily. But I doubt that even the Karate King could duplicate that feat. Gloria, hand back the hat, and then I want you two to follow me." 

She did, and Chris put his stuff back in, and they followed the doctors back into the main room. The woman doctor put out a punching bag that was attached at the top and bottom by chains to a metal frame. "I want you to kick this, as hard as you can." Gloria immediately spun a hard kick into the bag. The chains on both ends snapped, and it went flying across the pool to leave a dent in the far wall. Chris and Gloria were both speechless already, and this made their jaws drop. Their Pokemon had stopped what they were doing to come and watch. 

"Now Chris," the male doctor said, "I noticed that you sliced clean through that table in Sylph. I'm wondering how. I've looked at your sword, and it seems to be fairly dull." 

"Dull?" Chris pulled out his sword, and removed the sheath. The doctor touched his finger to the edge. 

"Ouch!" he jerked back, his finger bleeding. "I felt that the other day, after the surgery, and it was as dull as a table knife. Where did you get that?" 

"My father forged it. He is a smith back home, which my brother will take over. Part of the forging has always been that the blood of the forger and the swordsman would go into the making. Perhaps that is why it works like that for me." 

"Your people are indeed a strange people. Did one of them show you how to squish that hat?" 

"No, actually I discovered that myself. Now that I think of it, I don't know if I ever did see anyone else do it." 

"You two are unique. I'm surprised that you didn't kill any of those Rockets during your fights. At least, none of them have appeared in the morgue." 

They really couldn't think of anything to say after that, so they returned to their room for the night. King and the Chairman brought in dinner for them, which was more elaborate than their lunch. They talked a little, and then left. Chris and Gloria lay down, staring at each other. They had a conversation with their eyes for a moment, until Togepi ended it by jumping up on Gloria. Clefairy followed suit, jumping on Chris. 

"Well, goodnight, Gloria." 

"Goodnight, Chris." They both slipped off to sleep, wondering about those abnormalities that the doctors had mentioned…


	14. Newly Famous

The next morning, the doctors removed the bandages from Chris's and Gloria's wounds. Chris felt the small tender scar near his shoulder. A reminder, and a link. The doctors had shown them x-rays they'd taken before the surgery, and they were eerily similar. The bullets' paths and resting positions were exactly the same in both of them, and at first glance one could take them to be two pictures of the same person, with the area that was in frame. 

Chris put back on his vest and prepared to go, and the doctor pulled back the curtain he'd been behind. Gloria was still behind hers, but his vest was also easier to put on than her shirt and bra. "You do remember that you two are both invited to the party, too. We wouldn't be here without you." 

"Of course, Chris. Our kids will love it." 

"Kids, you mean..." Gloria's voice came from behind her curtain, plainly surprised. 

"Yes, the two of us are married, for nearly ten years now." Gloria's doctor pulled back the other curtain, and Gloria came over to Chris. 

"That's pretty cool. We'll look forward to meeting your kids tonight." 

"We'll see you there."  
Gloria gave her doctor a hug, partial thanks for all she'd done for her. Chris shook his doctor's hand, and gave him a pat on the back, looking him straight in the eyes. 

"We'll see you later, doctors." 

"But of course." This time it was those two who answered in unison, causing them to laugh as they parted. 

Chris and Gloria walked out of the building, their Pokemon following close behind them. Suddenly, someone called out from behind them. 

"Hey, Chris!" 

"Rick! Good to see you." 

"Congratulations on your success. I'd assume that this lovely young lady is Gloria?" 

"Yes, I am." Gloria blushed a bit at the compliment. 

"Hey, Gloria, this is Rick. I met him a couple of days before I met you. He's who I was talking to outside of the Fuscia Pokemon Center." 

"Oh, hey. Good to meet you." Gloria shook his hand, curious now as to how those two had met.

"Chris, Gloria, would you mind coming with me?" 

"Sure," they both replied. Rick led them to a house nearby, where he then led them into a den. 

"Well, Chris, you've really gained notoriety in the ranks." 

"Rick, before you continue, let me say something. Gloria, I'm also a member of Team Aqua, and Rick is my boss." 

"Was, actually. You're my equal now. As would you be, Gloria, if you joined the team. I'm actually a League agent, and I've brought Chris under my wing because I feel he can help me in my mission. And so can you, if you join." 

Gloria thought about it for a moment. "Well, yeah, I guess so. I mean, I know that Aqua's gaining a bad rep in Hoenn, but if you're with the League, then yeah, I'll definitely help." 

"Thank you, Gloria. I really appreciate it," Rick said with a bow. 

"We can handle this together, Glo." 

"Of course we can. It's really because of you that I agreed." She hit him softly in the arm, and they both started laughing. 

"Well, I'm glad that's settled. I actually have some Admin uniforms for you guys, too. I'd hoped that you would join us, Gloria, and came prepared." He presented them with two bundles of clothing. "As you can see by looking at me, you don't always have to wear the uniform, but at least wear it to official events and such." 

"So, you already knew about Gloria when you got here. I take it we're well known now then?" 

"Oh, yeah! Security clips of you fighting the rockets have saturated the media. Some parts were withheld, like whatever happened after Giovanni disappeared, but you've gotten a lot of publicity. You're overnight celebrities! Silph and the hospital kept the reporters off of you for the last few days, but expect a media blitz as soon as they find you. Oh, that reminds me. If you can, could you get me Giovanni's arm? Archie wants to make it into a trophy of sorts." 

"Um, sure, I guess. I don't want it, personally, but if it inflates his head to the point of fault, then by all means." Chris was disgusted by the idea, almost as much as by the fact that he'd actually cut the man's arm off. 

"Just don't make me look at it, okay? It looked really nasty when you cut it off, blood spurting from the cut..." Gloria disliked it even more than he did. 

"Don't worry, Gloria, it's okay." 

It was quiet for a moment, and then Rick rose to leave. "Chris, don't forget about Kyogre. He's bound to you, so use that bond to keep him from Archie." 

Chris and Gloria rose, too, recovered and ready to go. "Can do, Rick. We'll head south tomorrow, probably." 

"In your bundles are Rainbow Passes for both of you, to head out to the Sevii Islands. I think that you'll have a good chance of finding him there." 

They walked out of the house, and Rick waved and ran off in the other direction. Chris and Gloria headed over to Silph, having little better to do with their day. They stowed away their new uniforms, so that there weren't any awkward questions later. 

They went into the Silph lobby, and were greeted by a hoard of reporters. 

"Hey, look, it's them!" 

"They're here!" 

They were suddenly surrounded, being asked so many questions that they couldn't tell who asked what, and didn't get a chance to answer. 

"Quiet!!" Chris's shout silenced the entire crowd. "You all have questions for us, so let us be civil and do this in an orderly fashion." 

"We will hold a press conference up on the next floor in a few minutes. Please move up there for the questioning." Gloria's voice carried just as much impact as Chris's, and they all started moving upstairs, to both of their surprise. 

Sabrina suddenly appeared behind them as the crowd milled past. "Ah, here you are. A press conference is a good idea, Gloria. Nice call on your part. The chairman would like to speak with you quickly, and is waiting for me to bring you up." 

"Well, then let's go!" Gloria urged. 

"We don't want the press to start a riot." 

Sabrina teleported them up to the office. "Well, someone cleaned up in here nicely, after the damage from the other day," Gloria commented. 

"Well, it would be hard for me to work in here and have dents in my wall and floor, now wouldn't it. I'll make this quick, to appease the media." The Chairman stood up and walked over to the two of them. "I want you two to have these. They are Master Balls, designed to guarantee the capture of the Pokemon you throw them at. Even the mightiest Legends should succumb to its power." 

"Giovanni wanted these," they said in unison, turning the Master Balls over in their hands. 

"Yes, indeed they are. But I had them hidden deep inside of my computer's hard drive. Digital storage is really useful for this, especially if your opponent doesn't have any hackers to try to get past your security systems." 

"Thank you, sir. We'll use these well." None of them was fazed by their unison this time. They tucked away the balls, and then Sabrina took them to face the media...

After a couple of hours, the reporters were satisfied and left. They'd really enjoyed grilling the pair. The worst part had been when they'd asked to see Giovanni's severed arm. Gloria immediately went pale, and Chris felt struck as memories returned. But the reporters were insistent, so as Gloria turned away, Sabrina brought it out. Chris showed it, and then tucked it away behind the stage, noting to give it to Rick later. 

Other parts weren't nearly as bad. At one point, they asked to see their fighting in action. Chris asked Sabrina to bring out the table he'd sliced before, and he sliced it again, and again. Then he tossed the pieces into the air, where Gloria then kicked or punched them, shattering them and sending them flying over the crowd's heads. He used other pieces of it for their Pokemon to exhibit on. The crowd was riveted by the amount of power shown by the group.  
There was also a lot of tedium, with the reporters prying their personal histories out of them. At least the parts they wanted to share. Fortunately, all of that finally ended.  
The first thing they did was to go and eat lunch. They were starving, and readily raided the machines in the next room, where the employees usually got their lunches. Sabrina and Jen joined them to eat, as well as Kelly, the woman who had been hiding in there. She was very enthusiastic to meet up with them again. 

"Hey, thanks again for letting us use your key." 

"No thank you so much for saving us! I would have visited you in the hospital, but I was spending time with my family. They'd really worried when mommy didn't come home." 

"Oh, you have kids? That's so cool! Make sure to bring them tonight." 

"Of course Gloria! My husband will be bringing them in for it." 

"How old are they?" 

"I've got two daughters and a son, who's also named Chris. He's seven, and his sisters are five and two." 

"Cool. I love little kids. I've always wished I had younger siblings instead of just an older brother." 

"At least you have siblings, Chris. I'm an only child." Gloria started giggling at that. "Not that I regret getting more attention from my parents." 

"I actually resent my brother, since he's the one with the inheritance. I get some, but he's the one that's always gotten the most attention. He's the one who got to follow my father as a smith. He's gotten the most attention from them. Of course, that's also allowed me to come here instead. I've resented him less and less since I got to come here. We're both also following our dreams now. And I did get my sword and training, too." 

"Pretty interesting, Chris. So we're both pretty happy with our lives, despite partially wanting something more." 

They ate the rest of the meal with only a bit more conversation. Chris got a large garbage bag, then went back to the stage and retrieved the arm. Then the others came out, and he and Gloria headed outside. Chris called Rick, and he met up with them at an intersection. Chris handed over the arm, and invited Rick to the party that evening. He said he'd try to be there, and he walked off. 

"Well, what do we want to do next? They're not expecting us to the party for a while now." 

"Skarmory should be back soon. The crowd was disappointed when she wasn't there. We should just stick around and wait for her to arrive." 

They didn't wait long. Skarmory showed up about five minutes later, heavy laden with her net full of fish. 

"Oh, wow! Nice work, Skarmory! These will be perfect for the party!" 

"How many did she get in there? That thing's completely full!" 

"Yeah, no wonder she was struggling with it. It's nice and heavy." Gloria picked it up with her right hand, and slung it over her shoulder. 

"Let's get those over to the party, so that they can start cooking them. I've got another thing to contribute, too, from my home." Chris pulled two Conu fruits from his hat. 

"Are you serious? You have some of those? Oh, those are so expensive here." 

"I'd really be busted if my folks back home knew I'd smuggled out so many of these. I've got a couple in here, and over a dozen more in the item storage system account that I made on the ship. Those store perfectly in there, preserved completely." 

"You use item storage?" 

"I established an account years ago, on a terminal on one of the cruise ships. I've eaten a couple of these fruits after a year in the system, and they tasted as good as if they were fresh." 

"I wonder what keeps others from smuggling those out like that?" 

"We keep pretty tight security on our orchards of these, so the only way outsiders can get some is to buy them. I'm going to get out more of these for the party. I have full right to them, but it would be best not to try that right." 

They headed over to the park where the party was being set up. Sabrina was already there, helping out wherever she could. 

"Oh, you're here! And you have the fish, I see. Skarmory got that many!?! I'm impressed that she could carry them back." 

"She had a hard time of it, I can tell you that much." Gloria set the net down so that the cooks could start preparing them. 

"I also have something else, from my home." Chris set down the bundle of fruits he'd gotten out of a computer on his way here. 

"Are you serious, Chris? How'd you get these?" Sabrina was amazed, while the cooks were speechless. 

"From home. I don't know of anywhere else that they're grown." 

"Do you know how much these are worth?" The cooks around Sabrina were still gawking as they saw just how many he had. 

"Well, I traded one in for my Bike, and know that it was worth far more than that. The shopkeeper probably would have given me two bikes, if I'd asked." 

"Oh, these are such a delicacy. We'll have to monitor them to make sure that everyone gets some." Sabrina levitated the pack into a storage cabinet, which she then locked. 

"I'm really wondering how much those are actually worth. A middleman is doing some serious gouging here. I could have probably gotten the bike normally for about the price that we charge to sell them back on the island. Of course, it's business. We charge that much because people will pay that much. I could probably seriously undercut other merchants who sell these by doing it myself. I won't, but it'd be interesting." 

"I could probably reap a decent profit selling these fish, too. If we don't make it as trainers, we could always go into business instead." Gloria started to laugh, and the cooks followed suit. 

"Well, the party's not for a couple more hours. Why don't you two go off and see some of the sights of the city?" Sabrina suggested. 

"What would you suggest, Sabrina?" 

She handed them a list, pre-made, of various places to visit. "These are some that I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy." A smile and a wink told them that she was more than 'pretty sure'. 

"Thanks. We'll see you guys later, then!" they grabbed each other's hands and walked off to check out some of the things Sabrina suggested…


	15. Party!

Chris and Gloria had decided to go to a movie together to pass the time until the party. The only movies that Chris had ever seen had been on the cruise ships in port, and on the one he rode to Kanto. Gloria took him to one of her personal favorites, a fantasy film based in a feudal time period. Chris felt that it was a lot like the wars between the people of his islands, but on land instead of oversea. They both enjoyed it, though. The main character used a very large sword that required two hands to use. He was attempting to avenge the slaughter of his village by an enemy town. He and his Pokemon fought valiantly, yet in the end he fell short, and was captured and brought before the enemy lord. Suddenly, an assassin, using the distraction the hero created, killed the lord of the enemy town from behind just before he had the hero executed. The soldiers then turned on the assassin, who had her Pokemon subdue them, and she came to the hero's aid. At the end, the two of them rode back to her town and received a hero's welcome for killing the evil lord. 

"Does that remind you of anything?" Gloria asked as they left the theater. 

"Well, other than that I've already met you, and you probably wouldn't have killed the man." 

"Hey, if I had to I probably could." 

"I know you could, but hopefully neither of us will. I almost did." 

"For a good cause, Chris. I only hope I would have had the courage to attempt the same in your place." Gloria turned to him and pulled him in for a kiss. They then headed over to the party, which was ready to start. 

There was an uproar as they arrived in the park. They were quickly surrounded, then lifted up on top of the crowd, who then carried them off towards the stage. Neither felt very comfortable up there, but they rode it out and enjoyed it. When they were set on the stage, they let out their Pokemon to join them. The crowd wanted some sort of speech, but neither of them felt much like doing that. Chris had an idea. 

"I know you want a speech, but we aren't really speakers. Instead, I will express myself another way." He pulled out his Poke-flute, and began to play. As he played, he started to dance, flowing with the music. He started in slow, then picked up the tempo as he went. Gloria also joined in, singing a wordless song that meshed with his tune. The Pokemon also joined in on the action. Cubone used his club as a drumstick, drumming on the floor with the rhythm of the music, with his own flourish. Skarmory, Dratini, Ghastly, and Tamanta put on an aerial show together, weaving in and out above stage and crowd. Pikachu and Flaffy made a small light show, sending out small shocks of energy with emphases in the music. Togepi and Clefairy danced together, as did Tyrogue and Beldum, weaving around the stage. 

At one point, Gloria dropped her tune for a moment and danced, and Chris stepped up to follow. He glanced at Cubone, who nodded, and then let him keep up the rhythm as Chris joined Gloria for their dance. They wove an elaborate pattern, flipping over one another multiple times. Then Skarmory and Dratini swooped down, and the trainers jumped onto their backs. Chris surfed steadily on Dratini as Gloria flew standing on Skarmory's back. They swooped around, then came together in the middle. Tamanta and Ghastly were under them, and they shot up their attacks to catch their trainers. Riding Water Gun and Night Shade, they slowly fell back down, and then jumped and flipped onto the stage, where Cubone still tapped his rhythm. Chris then pulled his flute back out and returned to playing, and Gloria jumped back into her vocals, with the whole song winding back down, until it ended with a few last hanging notes from the flute.  
The crowd burst into cheers as they and their Pokemon took their bows. Sabrina then teleported onto the stage. "We've all really enjoyed your performance, you two. Thank you for that, and for everything you've done for us!" The crowd cheered again. "Now, I suspect that we're getting hungry, so let's eat!" 

The crowd dispersed to the buffet lines that had been set up, and began to get their food. Sabrina led Chris and Gloria to a table where the Chairman, King, and Jen were already sitting, with places set, already having food there, for three more. There was also an area set up next to it, roped off to keep the guests from stepping into it, where the Pokemon went for their food. There was fish and fruit for all of them, plus some other Pokemon food. 

"Well, Sabrina, that's probably the most enthusiastic I've yet seen you," the chairman said as they sat down. 

"That song really got me going. It had power, to be sure." 

"A Poke-flute will do that, if you know the right tunes. My people have used them for centuries, for various purposes, though I got this one from Mr. Fuji. Wonder where he is? I sent him an invite via Gastly earlier." 

"I saw him a few minutes ago, Chris. He's an old friend of mine, and I was glad to see him." The chairman started looking around. "Ah, there he is." He pointed to one of the food lines. 

"I'm glad he made it." 

"So, did you two practice that or something?" Jen asked. 

Chris and Gloria stared at each other. "No, I just realized that something needed to be done, and I didn't have anything to say." 

"I applied a tune that I learned as a girl once he got going. I was surprised when it meshed so well with his." 

"And our Pokemon just sort of joined in. I was surprised by Cubone's drumming, and the whole aerial part while we were dancing." 

"That was fun! I didn't worry at all about falling off, I've done that before. And riding down on the other two's attacks was really interesting." 

They all then started eating, and eventually others started to come over to chat. First were the two doctors, though it took a moment to recognize them in normal clothing. 

"Oh, you're kids are so cute!" Gloria was holding a two year old boy, and Chris was playing with his five year old sister. Their older brother, who was almost eight, scowled at being called cute. 

"Well thank you. Normally we don't both work at the same time, but this was important enough that we did, so we haven't spent as much time with these guys the past few days." 

"But you're done now, mommy. And you did a good job." The little girl poked Chris's scar with her finger, making him wince slightly. 

"Your daddy did Chris's, dear. I helped out Gloria here." 

"Oh, well you still did good." 

"Hey, can we play with your Pokemon?" the older boy asked. Chris and Gloria looked over at their Pokemon, who were done eating and were playing on their own anyways, and nodded at the kids. 

"Be nice to them," they warned. 

At this point, Kelly and her family came over. Her kids immediately joined the other three with the Pokemon. 

"So these are the mighty heroes. Good to meet you two." 

"Chris, Gloria, this is my husband, Charles." They both shook his hand. He then went over to watch the kids and make sure that no one got hurt. 

Other people came over throughout the night, to say hi or introduce themselves. Chris was surprised when Misty came over. 

"Hey you two! That was really cool of you. I especially liked how you two were fighting, too, not just your Pokemon." 

"Eh, with people like the Rockets, there's not much else you can do." Chris stretched a little, having been sitting too long. 

"It's not like they'll just give up because you defeat their Pokemon." Gloria actually got up to stretch, and then started walking around. Chris followed her, as did Misty. 

"Hey, you two are welcome in my gym anytime. I'd love to have you over for a swim or something." 

"We'll do that." Misty laughed at their unison, and they couldn't help but join her. 

"What's so funny?" Mr. Fuji walked up to them. 

"Nothing," they said in unison again, then laughed harder. He laughed, too. 

"Hey, nice use of that flute, Chris, you've really got some talent with that," he said after they had regained their composure. "And Gloria, your voice was lovely. I was very impressed." 

"Thank you, sir." Gloria was blushing again. 

"Thanks again for giving me the flute. I've really enjoyed having it." 

The night moved on, and so did the people. Eventually, they'd all left except for Chris, Gloria, and Sabrina. 

"Well, I'll see you two later, I guess. I expect to hear news of League challenges soon." 

"Later, Sabrina!" They both waved, and she waved back before teleporting home. 

"Well, let's head over to the Pokemon Center to rest for the night." 

"Good idea, Glo." 

"Actually, you two, I have news for you." Rick approached the pair. "That was a nice get together, by the way. Cianwood trout and those wonderful Conu fruits, and both for free from what I'd heard." 

"My family owns an orchard of them." 

"Skarmory brought back a ton of those fish." 

"Ok, ok you two. Anyways, I need you two to head to the Sevii Islands immediately. Specifically to Six Island. Then head north-west of it to Outcast Island. One of our ships is waiting in Vermilion to take you there as soon as possible. You'll need to wear your uniforms, though. Change on the ship, but get your passes out now." 

"What's up, Rick?" Gloria asked. Chris, however already knew. 

"Kyogre."


	16. Kyogre

"Really? Are you serious?" 

"Very much so, Gloria. Chris, could you fill her in on the ship? You need to get going ASAP." 

"Sure thing Rick." 

Chris and Gloria headed to Vermilion, and got on the ship. It wasn't a large ship, but it went fast. It did have a small personal room with a bathroom that they used to change. Once they had changed, Chris filled Gloria in while he modified his hat into a pack. He'd bought some leather straps earlier that day, before the party, and attached them to the hat to use as shoulder straps. 

"So, you've seen him before? Wow, that's pretty cool." 

"Yeah, I guess it is. Have you ever seen one?" 

"Well, Lugia is supposed to live in the islands near mine, but I've never seen him. I might have seen Ho-oh once, though." 

"Wow. Nice." 

"Approaching port! Prepare to disembark!" The voice over the intercom reminded them of their objective. They left the ship, and started off towards their objective. They started off flying, noticing a dark storm blowing in the area of their objective. As they got closer, Chris had a hard time staying on Dratini while flying, so they started to surf. Gloria and Skarmory had to fly low, too, because of how the wind beat at them. Skarmory couldn't fly above the storm while carrying Gloria. 

Suddenly a bolt of lightning struck the pair. "Gloria! Are you okay?" 

"Um, sort of. That hurt."

"You're telling me!" Skarmory said. She now had an even harder time staying in the air. 

"Come and swim with me instead. You're a lightning rod up there." 

"Good point." Gloria returned Skarmory to her Pokeball and dropped into the water. "Fortunately I wasn't grounded for full conduction, so it wasn't a strong blast. But not something I want to repeat. It also seems to be weaker since it's not a natural storm." 

The three of them swam on towards the island, reaching it a few minutes later. They saw Kyogre hovering over the beach further down the way. 

"Well, there he is." Chris looked at his childhood savior in awe. 

"Impressive. Looks like we've got company, Chris!" Dratini pointed, and Chris saw a group of Team Magma members standing beneath Kyogre. 

"So, someone beat us here." 

"Let's go and say hello." Gloria pulled on her gloves, and dashed off down the beach. Chris drew his sword and followed. 

As they got nearer, they noticed that they had a strange machine with them, and that Kyogre wasn't moving. The machine seemed to use the rock in an orb on top for power. 

"They must be restraining him with that!" 

"Then we have to stop them. Let's go." 

Chris and Gloria dashed down the beach to the Magmas. 

"Hey, Magma scum, let him go!" 

"You think we'll listen to you, Aqua freaks?" A Magma admin came forward to challenge them. 

"Listen to us or our force." Gloria emphasized her statement by driving her fist into the man's stomach. He doubled over, and fell to the ground. 

"Hey, you can't do that!" A female admin spoke up this time. 

"We can and we did." Chris readied his sword. "Do you want to challenge that?" He removed the sheath, and they backed away. "Anyone? No? Ok, then!" He sliced straight through the machine, and it fell apart with a small explosion. 

Kyogre, now released from his binding, readily struck back. He slammed the Magmas with Hydro Pump, sending them flying out to sea. 

Kyogre turned to Chris and Gloria. "So, do you also wish to imprison and exploit me?" 

"No, no, of course not!" Gloria was now a little nervous. 

"Would we have set you free from their trap if we wanted to trap you? We've met before, Kyogre. Don't you remember me?" Chris removed his Aqua cap and put back on his normal one. 

"Yes, I do indeed, you and the Dratini." Kyogre's voice softened. "So, what do you wish then?" 

"I would like to have you join my team, but I will not force it on you." He pulled out the Master Ball. "With this, I could. But I don't want to force that on you. I've not yet caught a Pokemon who didn't want to come with me." 

Kyogre considered for a moment. "You are indeed strong in body. But are you strong in heart? Do you have a commander's will? These things I wish to see. I will battle your Pokemon, and if you win, I may join you." 

"Thank you. Dratini, are you ready to go?" 

"Yes. I have long wanted to meet Kyogre again, and now would love to test my strength against him." 

"Ok then, we begin!" Kyogre started with a Hydro Pump attack. 

"Dodge, and use Dragonbreath!" 

Dratini got away from most of the attack, taking a glancing blow, but her attack was dead on. 

"Don't wait for me. Use your judgment!" 

She attacked again, avoiding a Body Slam in the process. Kyogre then dove underwater. Dratini watched for him to come up. 

"Behind you!" 

Dratini turned, and braced for impact from Kyogre's Surf attack as he surfaced. 

"Thunder!" 

Dratini used Kyogre's storm to amplify her attack, sending multiple bolts at him. Kyogre wasn't finished, though, and struck back with another Hydro Pump. Dratini didn't have time to dodge this time, and was hit hard. Chris caught her as she landed on the beach 

"Are you okay, Dratini?" 

"Not quite...strong enough...to beat him." She fainted in his arms. 

"You did well, my old friend. Pikachu, finish the job! Thunder!"  
Pikachu appeared from his ball, and immediately zapped Kyogre with a dozen bolts from the clouds. 

"Enough. You have proven your worth, Chris. I will gladly join your team." Chris nodded and threw the Master Ball, which returned to his hand after Kyogre entered it. 

"Welcome to the team, Kyogre." 

"Not even a struggle, with that thing. I'll need to make sure to use mine wisely. Anyways, congratulations, Chris." 

"Thanks. Maybe you'll get your own legendary some day." 

"Oh, I hope so! I don't want to fall behind you." 

The storm started to clear, with Kyogre now captured, and they looked together into the starry night, wondering what the next day would hold.

They slept in their uniforms, which were surprisingly comfortable while wet. They lay out on the sand under the now-clear sky. 

In the morning, they were awoken by Chris's phone ringing. 

"Hello Chris, this is Professor Oak." 

"Hey, Prof. Isn't it a little early?" 

"Where you are, maybe. And you appear to have been up late. Did you really catch Kyogre?" 

"Your system registered it? Then yes, trust your equipment. Since you already know I was up late catching him, you know that I indeed have him." He held up the Pokeball that Kyogre was in. 

"Amazing Chris. First the Rockets, now this. Good job with that, by the way." 

"Thanks. Just did what needed doing." 

"That's all that any hero does. Is that Gloria behind you?" 

"Yes, I'm Gloria. News reports, right?" Oak nodded. "Anyways, good to meet you, Professor Oak." 

"Likewise, and congratulations on your work as well. Hey, would you two mind coming over to my lab the next time you're in the area? I'd like to give Gloria one of these Pokedexes, and also I'd like to see Kyogre." 

"Yeah, we'll stop in." 

"Great! Well, I've got some work to do, so I'll see you when you get here." 

"Goodbye, professor!" Oak gave them a funny look before turning off the phone. 

"There's another person we've unnerved with that unison thing." 

"Oh, but it's so fun, Chris!" 

"I know it is. That's part of why we do it. I think." They both started laughing at that point. Then they decided to kiss instead. 

They decided to swim back in to Six Island's port. They brought out their Pokemon to go with them. Cubone wouldn't of course, even when offered a ride on Skarmory. He was just as afraid of heights as of water, especially heights over water. The others all came, though. Clefairy and Pikachu rode on Dratini as usual, and Togepi and Flaffy rode on Skarmory. Ghastly and Beldum floated along, and Tamanta, Tyrogue, Kyogre, and the trainers swam. They made pretty good time across the waves, reaching the port much faster than they'd gotten to the small island. The ship that they'd come in on was still there, ready to take them back to Vermilion. 

On the way back, they changed back into their normal clothes and showered. They were fighting the dominant currents, the captain had told them, and so the trip would last longer this direction. Meaning that they could wash up in the interim. Chris decided to keep using his hat as a pack, instead of taking off the straps. He figured that it probably looked better as a backpack, anyways. He'd put it back on his head if he needed to, but otherwise he wouldn't bother. 

In Vermilion, they met up with Rick soon after they left the port area. "So, did you get him?" Chris held up the Master Ball. "Good. I'll be telling both Archie and the League. He may end up wanting to meet you personally after this. To congratulate you, or maybe to take Kyogre from you." 

"Like he could if he tried." Chris pulled out his sword. 

"Just don't trust him any further than you have to. And play your part well unless you have to break it. We want to make sure that we've got a good person inheriting his position." 

"So, we've got a villain we're calling boss, and we're going to play along." Chris chuckled at the irony. 

"Um, why not pull a coup?" Both of them turned to Gloria. "Why not? We're powerful enough, and that's probably the fastest and maybe the best way to transfer Aqua's potential from him to us." 

"Hostile takeover. Sounds good to me." Chris smiled at the prospect. 

"I can't believe that I never thought of it," Rick said, hitting his forehead. "I've never even considered it. Betraying him to the cops or something, but not that." 

"Well, we'll want to time that in such a way as to get maximum effect," Chris said. "I'm not sure if we could storm an Aqua base the same way we stormed Silph." 

"I'm just hoping that we can do it," Rick replied. 

"And fighting those you want to lead isn't a good thing, either," Gloria added.

"So we'll wait for now," Rick told them. "I'll let you two know when we get ready for that." 

Rick then took off, leaving Chris and Gloria alone. 

"Well then, let's head over to Pallet Town. I'd like to meet Professor Oak." 

"Ok, that sounds good. Let's get going. Great idea, by the way." Chris gave Gloria a quick kiss, which she held a bit longer than he'd intended…


	17. Professor Oak

Chris and Gloria decided to ride Kyogre out to Pallet town. There was straight water across from Viridian to Pallet, but it was pretty rough in there. Kyogre was glad to take them, as it gave the three of them time to talk. 

"I was wondering something about you two," Kyogre started. "You were wearing team Aqua uniforms, yet you don't act like the others of that bunch I've observed." 

"Well, we're not like them," Chris told him. "We're fine with the environment-friendly parts of their ideology, but we don't like the overly ambitious plans that Archie has. They surely spell disaster if he can succeed." 

"So, we're planning to take him out of power!" Gloria exclaimed. "We figure that the team has potential, with a kind leader in place." 

"And you two know why he wanted me?" he asked. 

"To flood the land, creating more water habitats," Gloria stated. "Not a very thoughtful person, since that would mean that the land-based Pokemon would loose a lot of habitat." 

"And inversely, Team Magma seeks Groudon to expand the land," said Chris, "for more land habitat, therefore less water habitat. At least from what I understand of it." 

"Yes, that's the general idea. And those Magma's you thwarted in their attempt to capture me were trying to get me out of the picture, so that I couldn't counteract Groudon's Drought." 

"At least Team Rocket is blatantly vile," Chris observed. "Aqua and Magma hide their less honorable ideas, duping in people who just want to help Pokemon." 

"I'd like to give Archie and Maxie a good 1-2 combo punch each." Gloria made the motion of that punch while standing on Kyogre's back. 

"That's another thing. Most humans I've observed don't fight themselves; they just have their Pokemon battle. Yet both of you are armed and well trained, and have great natural abilities. As do your Pokemon. It is a special bunch that I've joined, it seems." 

"Well, my sword is a traditional weapon from my home," Chris told him. "I use it here because a dishonorable foe will not follow conventions when fighting." 

"Like Team Rocket. They'd attack in groups, and wouldn't admit defeat easily. Good in war, but low in our day and age. Giovanni actually shot both of us after we beat him." 

"So, he's the source of those wounds. I'd almost suspected that you'd inflicted those on yourselves, they're so perfectly matched." 

"Hey! Why would we do that?" they shouted in unison. 

"Easy, you two. I didn't mean anything by it. Other than it might have been a lover's mark, showing the bond between you two. I've seen the surface, not the depths." They were silent for a moment, with Chris and Gloria just staring at each other. Whether or not they'd done it, the scars did indeed create a bond between them. They were also surprised that they'd intimidated a legendary Pokemon in their indignation. Of course, human weapons could do more against him than an enemy Pokemon ever would, under most circumstances. "I'm sorry you two, I'd just thought..." Kyogre trailed off, not knowing the words to say. 

"Well actually, you kind of thought right," Gloria admitted. 

"They do signify a bond between us, and we are in love," Chris said, grabbing Gloria's hand. 

"I'd recognized that. You two make a good couple. I've often wondered what love would be like. When you're an ancient legend and one of a kind, that's not something you get to experience." 

"Well, maybe that can change. You may be unique, but there are other legends." Chris wondered if that mattered, though. 

"Yeah, don't give up on that, Kyogre. At the very least you can be a part of our group love, us and our Pokemon." Gloria giggled at the idea. 

"Thank you, both of you. I'm glad that I chose to come with you. Well, it would seem that we're almost there." 

Indeed they were. Chris could see someone waving to them from the shore. They made their way over to where Professor Oak was waiting. 

"Ah, you've made it, Chris," he called as they reached shore. "Hello, Kyogre, Gloria." 

"Kyogre, this is Professor Samuel Oak, the most renowned Pokemon researcher in the world." 

"Yes, I have heard of you, professor. I do keep my ear out for human news, in case it may impact me. I feel I have good reason to trust you." 

"Well, thank you, Kyogre. I've studied you, as well as many of the other ancients, for many years. I'm elated to finally meet one of you! Oh, Gloria, I have something for you. A Pokedex, like Chris's, to use on your journey." He handed her the device, then continued. "And I'd like to welcome the three of you to my Pokemon reserve." 

"Thanks, professor. This is all part of your reserve?" Gloria asked. 

"Yes. The reserve explicitly covers over a square mile, but add in the waterways and airspace that some of the Pokemon use, and it goes well beyond that. This beach is where I meet with most of my seafaring species, and I have ponds where freshwater species stay. The ponds connect out here via a stream, so many will go back and forth between them, too, if they're comfortable in both types of water. The reserve covers areas of each basic terrain type. There's even an old farmhouse and mill out here that Ghost Pokemon can enjoy haunting. It's quite fun to open that area to the public at Halloween." Oak started to laugh, and the others joined him. "Anyways, would you three like to stay for lunch?" 

"Would you have any trouble feeding me?" Kyogre thought that the man wouldn't likely have anything he'd want to eat, or at least in large enough quantity. 

"Fortunately, Kyogre, with a little more data from you, my Poke-food machine will be able to create a great dish for you, in the amount that you'd like. Do you mind?" Oak pulled out a small tool, a very dull knife used for scraping skin samples, and showed it to Kyogre, who nodded. Oak scraped a bit of skin off of him, and then led them up to the lab, Kyogre hovering along. 

"He's really very kind," Oak observed. "I'd always expected that the legendary Pokemon would be fierce." 

"Oh, he can be, but he's also very friendly," Chris told him. 

"He was probably pretty lonely, wandering the seas all alone." Kyogre nodded in agreement to Gloria's statement. 

"Good point, Gloria. And I'll try not to get on his bad side." 

Oak led them to a barn-like structure, and to a machine inside. Kyogre didn't fit, so he waited outside. 

"Your food will come out there, anyways." Oak put the tool with the scrapings into the machine and activated it. It began to process it, and a few moments later a hatch slid open on the side of the barn, and a large platter of food was produced. Kyogre sniffed at it, and immediately dug in. 

"Ah, I love that reaction. Brock from Pewter Gym helped me with it, inputting his various personal discoveries on breeding and feeding Pokemon. He'd do well as a scientist, if he wished to pursue it. If you want, you can feed your other Pokemon here, too. It has a scanner that should work for your smaller Pokemon." 

They let out their other Pokemon, and soon eleven more plates of food were produced, varying in looks, portions, and smells. Gastly's food looked almost transparent, and he dug in gratefully when he saw it. 

"Now, if you two want to follow me inside, I have some human food in my kitchen." Leaving their Pokemon to their meal, Chris and Gloria followed Oak inside. 

"I wonder what it would give us if we have your machine make us lunch." 

"The stuff it makes for humans is okay, but not as good as the real thing," Oak admitted. "I tried it while testing the machine to see if it worked right. It made…stew would be the best way to put it. A blend of all my favorite flavors, but not necessarily very good together." 

They went in, and had a good lunch of spaghetti. Oak was also apparently a good cook. "I sometimes will make special meals for the Pokemon, too. They like that extra show of affection, especially when ill or injured." 

After lunch, he showed them around a little. "Well, you've really got a really nice place here," Chris stated, awed by the scope of the lab and the preserve around it. 

"I doubt even the safari zone is as varied as the terrain here," Gloria added. 

"No, it isn't," Oak said matter-of-factly. "I found a real great spot when I made this reserve. Hey, do you two want to spend the night, let your Pokemon relax in their own elements?" 

They glanced at each other. "Sure, we'd love to." 

"That's definitely unnerving, when you say things like that." They all started laughing, including their Pokemon, who had joined them for the tour. 

So they stayed the night, having lasagna for dinner. They also decided to sleep out under the stars, since it was better than sleeping on couches inside. So they went out and camped on the edge of a large meadow, sleeping very peacefully...

They awoke the next morning feeling great. They headed in towards the main house to meet up with Oak. "Ah, good, you're awake. Let's eat, and then I have something to talk with you about." 

So they sat down to a breakfast of pancakes, and after Oak took them into another area of the lab. "This is a special chamber, where I analyze Psychic Pokemon from time to time. I want to see something. Would you two mind staying in here for a few minutes? I've got a hunch I'd like to test." 

"Oh, ok, sure." Neither of them was very sure about it, but they figured that he had a good reason for it. 

"I wonder what he's checking for?" Gloria asked after Oak shut the door. 

"I'm not sure, Glo, but he said this chamber was special for Psychic Pokemon." 

"So it's probably something neural that he's looking at. Or a few things." 

"Well, so what should we do while we wait?" 

"Um, do you want to spar a bit? Keep in shape?" 

"If you're up to it, then sure." Chris pulled out his sword, and Gloria pulled on her gloves. 

"Remember, we're just sparring, Chris," Gloria said jokingly. 

"Exactly. I'd rather not have either of us end up unconscious from this." They faced each other, ready to go. 

Gloria started the match, springing forward with a fist aimed at Chris's gut. He dodged that, and blocked the subsequent kick with his sword. He then thrust at her stomach, but she knocked his sword aside as she aimed another punch at his chest. He blocked that with his other arm, and then tried to catch her off guard with a sweep kick. She jumped over it, and he had to dodge back to avoid getting a foot in his face. He caught his sword under her leg on its way back down, but she countered his attempt to flip her over by spinning, landing solidly on the formerly-caught foot. Suddenly she spun, and Chris prepared to block her incoming fist. However, her braid caught him off guard, striking him across the cheek. He kept his guard up, so her punch was stopped, but he was seeing spots from that hit from her braid. He blocked another flurry of attacks, and then spun himself. His pack caught the punch she aimed at his back, and spun her a bit in the other direction, though she still managed to block his blow. 

"Okay, you two, that's enough. Hold up!" 

They both stopped as Oak reentered the chamber. "Well, what did you find?" they both asked excitedly. 

"Calm down, you two, please. My suspicions were indeed confirmed. You two have a mental link between you."

"A…mental link?" Gloria asked, dazed.

"Yes, a connection between your minds. It explains a number of things, like when you speak in unison. And how you were fighting just now. Each of you landed only one solid blow on the other, with unintended attacks. Because when you planned them, the other was able to sense it through your bond." 

"But, I didn't hit her," Chris stammered. 

"Your pack, Chris. You weren't planning to use that as a shield, and I'll bet that she didn't enjoy hitting it. Her fist would have just passed by if you hadn't had the pack on." Chris noticed that she was holding the wrist of the hand that had hit his pack. 

"When did I hit you, though?" Gloria asked Chris. 

"Your braid hit me when you spun that one time. Smarts, too." Chris rubbed his cheek where it had hit him, which was turning red. 

"You see, you didn't even realize that you'd done that," Oak said excitedly. "And, there's something else. You two have other extra-ordinary abilities, if you didn't know." 

"The doctors in Saffron told us about that," they replied together. 

"Well, then I'd assume they also mentioned your Pokemon's abilities, or at least some of them?" They nodded. "Then that saves me an explanation. But the source of those abilities confuses me. Your Pokemon's abilities are partly natural, but some of it also comes from you two. You two have a powerful destiny ahead of you, no doubt about that. Yet your abilities are also tied to that bond, which also spans as a network to your Pokemon. You have some unconscious control of them, so you can easily be gentle when you want to, and yet can have very high strength as well. The amount you were using as you sparred, for example, wasn't nearly as high as when you fought the rockets, though higher than if you weren't fighting. When Chris confronted Giovanni, his output probably went even higher, because of his self-sacrificing fury mixed with grief. When he saw that you were okay, Gloria, both were drained from him, along with his adrenaline, releasing its grip on his pain sensors. Giovanni could have finished you two off if he'd stuck around, if he was still able to fight, anyways. Chris's kick may well have broken his other hand." 

The two of them stared at each other for a while. This was easier to swallow after the revelations of the doctors, but still somewhat overwhelming. 

An explosion outside brought them out of it. "Come on, we need to go see what caused that!" They followed Professor Oak to what seemed to be a control room. "It looks like that detonated right outside of this building. Let's go see what's happening." 

The three of them ran out, and were met with a hoard of Rockets. "Ah, we've found you. Prepare to pay for what you did to me!" Giovanni was standing in a balloon over his minions. He appeared to have a prosthetic arm to replace the one Chris cut off, and his other hand was indeed bandaged. "Men, ready..." The rockets suddenly all pulled out guns. 

"Oh no, you don't!" Pikachu and Flaffy appeared, with a group of other electric Pokemon, including some Magnemite and Magneton. They all started to feed energy into the magnet Pokemon, creating a group of powerful electromagnets, which pulled the guns out of the Rocket's hands. Then they started zapping the Rockets. 

"Take this!" Cubone appeared, with Tyrogue, Beldum, and Clefairy. Clefairy jumped onto his Bonemerang as he threw it, riding it out to the Rockets, and jumping off to attack them once she got in close. Then Cubone threw Beldum like a boomerang, and Tyrogue jumped on, riding him straight into the middle of the crowd. 

"We won't let you hurt them!" Dratini, Skarmory, and Ghastly dove in, hammering the Rockets with their attacks. 

"Leave them alone!" Tamanta and Togepi came in from another direction, leading more of Oak's Pokemon, and started to attack the rockets. Tamanta washed out many of them with a Hydro Pump, and Togepi suddenly struck with Hyper Beam, tearing through the ranks. 

"You will not harm these people!" Kyogre appeared flying over the house, and hit Giovanni's balloon with Hydro Pump. He went flying off into the distance with a curse. 

"So, you really want to fight us?" The trainers both got ready to fight as their Pokemon held off for a moment. The Rockets were completely unnerved, and ran away as fast as they could. Those who hadn't already been knocked unconscious, anyways. 

"Nice work you guys! That was awesome!" Gloria yelled. 

"Well done, all of you. Thanks for the help," Chris called to the Pokemon that had helped out. Their Pokemon then rushed in and crowded around their trainers. 

"Ok, now everyone calm down, please." everyone turned to look at Oak. "That was an amazing display of your might. Well done on defeating them again. But don't think that you're out of the woods. Giovanni will stop at nothing to get his revenge. So go out and make sure that he doesn't succeed, as you continue in your journey." The Pokemon all shouted in consent. 

"Well, I think that we should be going now. We don't want to cause you more trouble." Chris bowed as he spoke. 

"Goodbye, professor, it was cool to meet you. Thanks for everything." Gloria bowed, too, not wanting to curtsy.

"You're welcome Gloria, Chris. Go with care. I'll try to keep in touch with you." The party then left Pallet town, and headed for a new destination: The Indigo Plateau…


	18. Pokemon League

Chris and Gloria headed into Victory Road, having shown their badges to the attendants at the entrance. 

"They seemed surprised that we had the Earth badges," Chris remarked. 

"Well, since Giovanni never spends time in his gym anymore, that's not surprising. I wonder if they'd have recognized us if we'd told them our names?" 

"Probably. They might not have seen us on TV, but everyone seems to have a radio nowadays. Even my folks back home have one." 

"C'mon, Chris, let's get going. I've never liked caves that much." They started riding their bikes through the cave, but suddenly had to pull to a stop when they found their path blocked. "Dang, this block's not natural. How do we get rid of it?" 

"Looks like there's a mechanism here to pull it into the floor," Chris said, pointing to the ground. 

"There's a switch over there." Gloria pointed across the room. "Looks like it's one that needs something held on it, though." 

"There's a boulder over there. Let's move it on top of the switch." Chris and Gloria went and pushed the boulder onto the switch, and the block receded into the floor. "Well, that's done. Let's get moving." They hopped on their bikes, and rode deeper into the cave. 

"Hey, you two! Want to battle?" They turned, and a girl approached them. "Yeah, I want to see if you can beat me. Each of you use one, I'll use two." 

"Okay, then let's go," they said in unison. 

"That's a little creepy, you two saying that together. Oh, whatever. Persian, Nidoqueen, let's do this!" 

"Tyrogue!" 

"Cubone!" 

"Persian, Pay Day! Nidoqueen, Toxic!" 

"Tyrogue, Cross Chop!" 

"Cubone, Bone Club!" 

Persian's Pay Day hit Tyrogue, and sent coins flying everywhere. But Tyrogue kept going, and got a critical hit with his attack, and Persian went down. Cubone struck hard with his Bone Club, knocking Nidoqueen out, but he was hit with the Toxic attack. 

"Ouch. You two are definitely ready for the League challenge. Well fought." 

"Cubone, come here for a sec." Gloria pulled an antidote out of her pack and used it on him. "That should help you feel better." 

"Wow, healing your partner's Pokemon. Really nice teamwork. Good luck you two." 

"Thanks, Glo. I don't think I have any Antidotes," Chris said as they rode on. 

"That's why I took care of it. I knew you didn't have any in there." 

They continued on through the caves, fighting various trainers along the way. They had to open two more sets of the blocks, but that wasn't a problem. They didn't see a boulder to put on the second one, so Gloria just punched it and it stuck in place. "That probably won't last long. Let's go!" She was right. It slid back up just after they got across--their going across had probably shifted it so that it would release. 

When they exited the cave, they found themselves atop the Indigo Plateau as the sun was setting. 

"Wow, it's beautiful up here!" Gloria exclaimed. 

"You can see so much of the surrounding land from here, Kanto and Johto both." Chris looked out over the land with awe. 

"Yeah. Look out there, Chris. It's my hometown!" She pointed to an island far off to the west. 

"It looks really cool framed by that sunset." Chris suddenly embraced Gloria and stole another kiss, that she again made last longer than he'd planned, the two of them also framed against the sunset. 

Later, they walked up to the main building of the Pokemon League. "I guess it's time, then. We can do this!" 

"Of course, Gloria! Let's go." 

They entered, and found a Pokemon Center and Poke-mart in the main lobby. They healed their Pokemon and got some extra supplies. 

"Now, time for the Elite Four!" Everyone stared at them as they spoke together, and Nurse Joy laughed, but they didn't care. They went through the doors to where the League Challenge would really begin.

As they entered the main lobby, they first encountered another receptionist. "Oh, hello. You two are here for the League challenge, I'd assume?" she asked in a forced-sweet tone. 

"Any other reason people come back here?" Chris replied bluntly. 

"Chris! Be nice." 

"Well, the Elite Four sometimes have visitors, but yeah, mostly trainers for the challenge, and few of those, recently." The receptionist sounded unfazed, as if she hadn't heard the tone of his response. 

"Yeah, we're here for the challenge," Chris said apologetically. 

"What do we need to do? Any different from the Johto League?" 

"Not really. First, I need to see your badges again." They pulled out their badges, and she ran a scanner over them. "Good, they pass. You also need to register your parties." They pulled out their Pokeballs and set them into the trays she provided. "Ah, some very good ones here. Will you be battling solo or team?" 

They looked at each other. They hadn't actually thought about that yet. "Um, team." 

The receptionist stared, surprised by their united response. "Well, then you'll have to choose three of your Pokemon each to bring in, for a total of six between you." 

The two of them stared at each other again. They suddenly weren't so sure about their decision. 

"Hang on, Sue. It's okay, let them in." All three of them turned, and saw Lance coming through another door into the room. 

"Lance, are you sure about that?" 

"Of course I am. I take it you don't recognize these two?" Sue looked them over, not registering what he was talking about. "Look at their names and pictures on your computer, Sue." 

She did, and it clicked. "You mean that they're...that they...I can't believe it!" She went from glum and bored to excited and nearly speechless in an instant. 

"Well, you should, because it's indeed them. Chris, Gloria, let me introduce myself. I am Lance, dragon master and leader of the Elite Four." 

"Claire's cousin, right?" Gloria asked. 

"Yes Gloria, I am. And you two are renowned as heroes now, for what you've done. I've spent my recent idle hours watching the footage from the security cameras in Silph. I'm glad that you've come for a challenge. Or a repeat, in your case Gloria. You seem much stronger now, though, and I expect that Bruno won't finish you off this time." 

"Well, this is the Kanto Four, too. So he's second, not third. Maybe that will help." Gloria didn't sound convinced, though. 

"Anyways, I've discussed this with the other three, and we've decided that you can bring all six of your Pokemon, both of you, but can only use a maximum of three each in any given battle."

"Ok! Thanks!" they said together. 

"You two are intimidating when you do that. I expect to see you in a little while up in my chamber. Good luck, both of you." Lance then went back through the door he'd come in from. 

"Well, what he says, goes. Head on in, heroes." Sue pushed a button on her desk, opening the door to the next room. "Oh, but can I have your autographs first?" Embarrassed, Chris and Gloria signed the blank paper she presented, and then walked through the door. 

"Ah, the heroes have arrived! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lorelei, originally of the Sevii Islands." 

"I'm Gloria, of Cianwood." 

"Chris, from Pokemon Island. I actually have a question, before we begin." He waited for Lorelei to acknowledge, then continued. "Why didn't you guys go down and help Saffron?" 

"Because we didn't know," Lorelei said apologetically. "Giovanni planned everything out very well. The only ones who knew any of the details of what had happened were trainers, many of whom had no way to get a hold of us, or were locked down inside. So we found out once Sabrina broke free, when it was basically already over. She actually interrupted talking to us to go and save you two."

"Oh, ok, I was just wondering. Shall we begin?" Chris asked, grabbing his first Pokeball. 

"Yeah, let's get going!" Gloria grabbed hers, too.

"Ok, then, Dewgong, Jynx, let's do this!" 

"Dratini!" 

"Togepi!" 

The battle was set to begin…


	19. Lorelai and Bruno

Togepi immediately jumped up onto Dratini. 

"Dewgong, Surf! Jynx, Ice Punch!" 

"Dragon Beam combo!" they shouted together. 

Togepi launched a Hyper Beam, which mixed with Dratini's Dragonbreath. The result was devastating, as Jynx went down. Dratini then rode the Surf attack, avoiding damage to either of them. 

"Ouch, one hit and she's down. Well, let's continue. Glaceon, go! Ice Beam, both of you!" 

"Dratini, just dodge!" She did, barely avoiding the two attacks. "Now, Flamethrower!" 

"Togepi, Assist!" 

The Assist turned into a second Flamethrower, both of which honed in on Glaceon. She didn't stand a chance against the two attacks. 

"Not again! You two really are strong. Lapras, come on out! Blizzard, together!" 

"Togepi, Metronome!" 

"Dratini, try to dodge!" 

Togepi jumped off of Dratini, dropping down to use Earthquake. Dratini, unfortunately, couldn't evade both Blizzard attacks, and was hit hard. She was encased in a block of ice, and fell to the floor. The ice shattered, but Dratini was unconscious. 

"Nice work, Dratini, come on back. Ghastly, you're up! Night Shade!" 

"Togepi, Headbutt!" 

"Both of you, use Surf!" 

Both attacks honed in on Dewgong, striking before Surf was started. She was flung into the wall, and fell down unconscious. Lapras's surf still hit, though it didn't hurt either Pokemon very much. 

"Nice work, Dewgong." Lorelei sighed as she called her third Pokemon back. "Cloyster, you're next! Ice Beam! Lapras, Hydro Pump!" 

"Togepi, Assist!" 

"Ghastly, Lick!" 

Ghastly took the hit from the Hydro Pump as he attacked Cloyster with Lick. Togepi's Assist became Thunder Punch, from Flaffy, and she hit Lapras hard. However, she was also hit by the Ice Beam, which sent her flying. Gloria ran over to catch her. She was still able to fight, but Gloria didn't want to send her back in with as weak as she was. 

"Oh, nice work Togepi! You did really well. Flaffy, you're next! Thunder!" 

"Lapras, you fought well, return. Sealeo, let's go! Ice Ball! Cloyster, Icicle Spear!" 

"Ghastly, keep it up, Shadow Ball!" 

Sealeo and Cloyster both attacked Ghastly with their projectiles, taking him down, but he fired off his Shadow Ball at Cloyster before they struck. Flaffy hit both of them with the Thunder attack, and Cloyster went down, too. 

"Man you're good. It's up to you, Sealeo, Sheer Cold!" 

"Well done, Ghastly, return. Pikachu, Shock Wave!" 

"Use Shock Wave too, Flaffy!" 

The two attacks hit hard, striking Sealeo down before he could launch his devastating attack. Lorelei shook her head as she returned him to his Pokeball. "Wow. Congratulations, you two. Head on into the next room." 

They brought out their fainted Pokemon, and used some Revives to heal them, ready for the next battle.

They went on into Bruno's battle chamber. "Hey, I remember you, now! Chuck's girl! Had a rough time against me a while back." 

"Yeah, but I don't plan on a repeat loss, Bruno. Especially with Chris's help." 

"We're ready to take you down." 

"Ah, feisty! Let's go then! Golem, Onix, let's roll!" 

"Cubone!" 

"Tyrogue!" 

They faced off, ready to begin. 

"Cubone, Bonemerang!" 

"Ride it, Tyrogue! Then Cross Chop!" 

"Rock Slide, both of you!" 

Tyrogue rode the Bonemerang right above the attacks, and Cubone jumped from rock to rock, or blocked them with his head if he couldn't dodge. Tyrogue then jumped off right at the last moment, hitting Onix with Cross Chop just as the Bonemerang made contact. He hopped back on, and gave Golem the same treatment. Both went down, unable to take the combined Fighting and Ground moves. 

"Ouch. Both of them in the same move combo. Well, let's do Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee! Hi Jump Kick and Mach Punch!" 

"Cubone, deflect the kick!" 

"Tyrogue, use Revenge!" 

Cubone did exactly that, using his club to send Hitmonlee into the wall instead. Tyrogue took the blow, but then dealt back double the damage. 

"Ok, now Mega Kick and Mega Punch," Bruno called to his staggering Pokemon. 

"Cubone, Skull Bash!" 

"Tyrogue, Cross Chop again!" 

Cubone's head met Hitmonchan's fist, and at the same time, Tyrogue's arms met Hitmolee's leg. Suddenly a resounding CRACK echoed through the room. Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee both went down, holding their limbs and shouting in pain. 

"Oh, I think you broke their bones!" Bruno ran out, and bandaged his Pokemon's wounds. "I'll need to get those healed after the battle." He helped his Pokemon out of the way, not wanting to call them into their Pokeballs in that condition. "Well, last round, Machamp and Sudowoodo! Jump Kick and Earthquake!" 

"Tyrogue, use Jump Kick too!" 

"Cubone, jump on your own Bonemerang!" 

Cubone hadn't tried that before, and almost missed landing on it, but then sped off, pulling a powerful triple attack on Machamp. He used Skull Bash as his bone hit, then the bonemerang hit again, knocking him to the floor. Tyrogue hit Sudowoodo squarely, with a critical hit to knock him out. 

"Ow! Okay, stop, you win! And with just those two, too. I'm very impressed. Anyways, Agatha's next, so beware." 

"Later Bruno!" Gloria called. They used potions on Cubone and Tyrogue, and then headed into the next room...


	20. Agatha and Lance

"Ah, so you've made it to me, have you?"

"Hello, Agatha, good to meet you," they said together. Agatha didn't seem to be fazed. 

"Why thank you, Chris, Gloria. Are you ready to begin?" 

"Sure." Chris smiled. 

"Let's go!" Gloria giggled. 

"Ok then. Gengar, Golbat!" 

"Clefairy!" 

"Beldum!" 

The four faced off on the floor, ready to go. 

"Gengar, Shadow Punch! Golbat, Crunch!" 

"Clefairy, Psi-Metronome!" 

"Beldum, use Confusion!" 

Beldum hit the approaching Golbat hard, causing him to hit Beldum instead of Clefairy, where he was aiming, and he broke his fangs on Beldum's hard surface. Gengar aimed at Beldum, but Clefairy got in the way, since she would take much less damage from the attack. Then she used her Metronome, producing Psybeam, which she aimed at Golbat. That took him down. 

"Oh, nice teamwork. Golbat, return. Next up, Misdreavous! Both of you, Hypnosis!" 

"Clefairy, Sing!" 

"Beldum, Safeguard!" 

The safeguard protected Clefairy and Beldum from going to sleep, and Clefairy's sing put both of her enemies to sleep. 

"Oh. Well then. Gengar, Sleep Talk!" 

"Clefairy, Dream Eater!" 

"Beldum, Steel Claw!" 

Gengar got up, moving in with another Shadow Punch. So he became the target of both attacks. Clef's Dream Eater stunned him, and Steel Claw sent him flying backwards. He awoke just long enough to fall down again, out cold this time. 

"Oh, that must have hurt," Agatha said, calling Gengar back to his ball. "Well, now for Crobat! Crunch! Misdreavous, Shadow Ball!" 

"Clefairy, Comet Punch!" 

"Beldum, Confusion!" 

Beldum hit Misdreavous with Confusion, and Clefairy hit Crobat with the Comet Punch. Beldum took hard hits from both of their opponent's attacks, though, and went down. 

"Oh, Beldum! Well, Togepi, you're next! Metronome!" 

"Clefairy, Psi-Metronome!" 

"Misdreavous, Shadow Ball. Crobat, Wing Attack!" 

Crobat never got a chance to strike. Both metronomes became Psychic, and hit Crobat hard. Clefairy jumped over the Shadow Ball, which harmlessly hit the wall behind. 

"Dang, another one down. Sableye, you're next! Both of you, Shadow Ball!" 

"Togepi, Foresight!" 

"Clefairy, wait then use Fight Metronome!" 

"What do you mean by that, Chris?" Gloria asked quickly. 

"She can choose the element her Metronome produces. Maybe Togepi can, too." 

"I'll try it." 

As they were talking, their Pokemon fought. The two Shadow Balls hit Clefairy, but also collided with each other, dispelling part of their energy. Togepi's Foresight left them both vulnerable to fighting and normal moves, meaning that when Clefairy pulled out a Low Kick, it took down Sableye in one hit. 

"Not again! Nice strategy, you two, especially with that element control. Next up, Banette! Faint Attack! Misdreavous, Shadow Ball again!" 

Chris and Gloria glanced at each other. "Fight-Metronome!" 

Clefairy pulled a Hi Jump Kick, hitting Misdreavous hard before she attacked. The Faint Attack and Shadow Ball hit Togepi, who then used Revenge to finish Misdreavous off. Togepi was a little wobbly after that, though. 

"Well, Banette, up to you! Night Shade!" 

Another quick glance, and, "Psi-Metronome!" 

Togepi's Psybeam and Clefairy's Confusion blasted Banette, sending her flying, whereas Night Shade barely did anything to Clefairy. Both were looking weak, but they'd also just won. 

"Oh, that was a powerful battle. Well done, both of you. That's the best battle I've had in years! Ever since the last time Samuel beat me, really."

"Samuel? Oak?" Chris asked.

"Yes. We're old friends, Sam and me. But he went into research, while I joined the League. Anyways, Lance is waiting in the next room. We can talk about this more later." 

They both used Hyper Potions on their Pokemon, and a Revive for Beldum, and moved on to face the Dragon Master...

The next room was actually a hallway. It turned back on itself and lead up a ramp to a second floor. The walls were lined with statues of dragon Pokemon. "Wow, Lance has a really nice set up here." Gloria was awed by the artistry. 

"I'm definitely impressed. This could be a real good challenge." 

They came to another door, and entered into Lance's chamber. 

"Woah!" they said together, awed by the large dragon statuary. Dragons from every region decorated the walls and statues of the room. 

"Ah, welcome, both of you. I see that you like my decor." They could only nod. They were especially drawn to the statues here, which were larger than life, and looked as if they'd been captured in motion, ready to attack. 

"Well, are you ready to begin?" Lance asked. 

"Ready when you are, Glo." 

"Sure, let's go." 

"Ok then. Dragonaire, Aerodactyl, let's go!" 

"Dratini!" 

"Beldum!" 

The two larger Pokemon looked ready to laugh at their smaller adversaries, but kept professional demeanors. 

"Dragonaire, Twister! Aerodactyl, Ancientpower!" 

"Dratini, Dragonbreath!" 

"Beldum, Iron Defense!" 

Beldum boosted its defense, and then intercepted both attacks. Dratini hit Dragonaire hard with Dragonbreath, paralyzing her. 

"Dragonaire, use Dragonbreath! Aerodactyl, Rock Slide!" 

"Dratini, Dragonbreath again!" 

"Beldum, Metal Sound!" 

The two Dragonbreath attacks clashed in the middle, evenly matched. Until Beldum's attack caused Dragonaire to flinch. Then Dratini's attack blazed through, and Dragonaire went down. Beldum took the Rock Slide attack, but was still floating when it ended. 

"Oooh, ouch. Dragonaire, return. Gyarados, let's go! Hydro Pump! Aerodactyl, Crunch!" 

"Dratini, Thunder!" 

"Beldum, Iron Defense again!" 

Gyarados somehow split his attack, hitting both of them with the Hydro Pump. Yet Dratini used that to her advantage, sending the Thunder back down the stream of water. Beldum used Iron Defense, but it couldn't stand up to the Hydro Pump and taking the Crunch attack that followed. 

"Oh, Beldum! Come on back. Skarmory, let's go!" 

"Thunder Wing Combo!" they shouted together. 

Dratini used Thunder to charge Skarmory's wings. She then flew into both Gyarados and Aerodactyl, zapping them both. Gyarados couldn't withstand two Thunder attacks, and passed out. Aerodactyl was hurt, but not finished yet. 

"Oh, nice work. Next up, Tyranitar! Double Rock Slide!" 

"Dratini, Thunder!" 

"Steel Wing, Skarmory!" 

Dratini blasted Aerodactyl with Thunder, finally bringing him down, but he'd already launched his attack. Skarmory sliced Tyranitar, but he remained standing. Both of them did their best to dodge the incoming attacks, but they both took some hits, too. 

"Ok, then. Charizard, you're next! Flamethrower! Tyranitar, Crunch!" 

"Dratini, Surf!" 

"Skarmory, Metal Claw!" 

Dratini's Surf hit both of them, causing both to stagger, but still stand. Skarmory hit Tyranitar with Metal Claw, dodging the Flamethrower attack aimed at her. However, Dratini couldn't dodge the Crunch, being tired already, and she went down. 

"Oh, Dratini! You did well, take a rest. Kyogre, let's do this! Water Pulse!" 

"Skarmory, Steel Wing!" 

"Oh, I wasn't expecting to see him! Charizard, Blast Burn! Tyranitar, Rock Tomb!" 

Tyranitar used the Rock Tomb to pin Skarmory, leaving her unable to dodge Charizard's Blast Burn, which knocked her out. Kyogre then took Charizard down with the Water Pulse. 

"Oh, you did good Skarmory! Tamanta, let's go! Blizzard!" 

"Charizard, return. Dragonite, you're up! Both of you, Thunder!" 

"Kyogre, Hydro Pump!" 

Kyogre hit Tyranitar with his attack, but that made a channel for the unexpected Thunder attack. However, he managed to withstand both attacks. Tamanta hit Dragonite hard with the equally unexpected Blizzard attack, freezing him. 

"Oh, wow, didn't see that coming. Dragonite, Flame Wheel! Tyranitar, Earthquake!" 

"Hydro Pump again, Kyogre!" 

"Ice Beam, Tamanta!" 

The second Hydro Pump finally brought Tyranitar down, though again after he'd unleashed his attack. Both Water Pokemon were shaken, but neither was hurt badly. Then Dragonite struck, thawing himself out and striking hard at Kyogre. The four attacks had been too much for him, and he went down too. 

"Oooh, Kyogre, well done. Pikachu, finish this!"

"Dragonite, it's up to you! Outrage!"

They didn't even need to glance at each other this time. "Arctic Thunder!" 

Dragonite never got a chance to strike. Tamanta combined Rain Dance and Blizzard, summoning a harsh snowstorm, more intense than Hail. Pikachu then used Thunder, striking from the clouds of the storm. Dragonite couldn't withstand the powerful combination, and went down hard, frozen again. 

"Wow. That was really amazing. How did you two come up with those combos?" 

They just stared at each other, unsure themselves. "They just come to us." 

"Well, congratulations. And good luck with your mission." 

"What?" 

"I know about how you two are part of Team Aqua, working with my good friend Rick. He's directly with the Hoenn League, but we all work together much of the time. You'll need all of your abilities to pull that one out, I fear. At least you already have Kyogre, so Archie can't get him. I'm worried about Maxie and his Magmas, too, but they are your secondary target." 

"Thanks, Lance." Chris bowed to the Dragon Master. 

"We'll do our best. So, what now?" Gloria asked. 

"Well Gloria, Chris, now you are the new Kanto Champions. Come with me into the Hall of Fame." 

They followed him out the back door, into another room. "This hall contains the pictures of all of our former champions, and the Pokemon they used. Each of you could easily have won this on your own merit, yet you work even better together. So I'll make a special entry for you heroes. Wait here while I set everything up." 

The two of them started to look around the room. Some of the pictures were very old, some more recent. One of the oldest was of Oak when he was young. "Wow, he was a really good trainer back in his day." 

"Here's Agatha, right near him. Wonder just how well they knew each other?" 

"We were friends! We were lovers! We were rivals!" They turned to see Agatha, Bruno, and Lorelei enter the hall. "Still are rivals, though he doesn't train much anymore. He still keeps a strong team, but he doesn't battle much." 

Chris continued to look around. "Hey, you're all in here, that's cool." 

"One of the requirements to being in the elite four is to have been a champion before." Bruno then started to chuckle. "Maybe we should start worrying about our jobs." 

"But if we joined, there'd be five. We work as a team." Gloria grabbed Chris's shoulder and squeezed him to her. He turned and kissed her instead. 

"More than a team, Glo." 

"Aw, you're such a cute couple!" Lorelai squealed, betraying her youth. 

"Thanks, Lorelei." They both blushed, and the other three laughed. 

"Hey, who's this?" Gloria looked at the picture of the most recent champion. "Looks like Oak, but younger." 

"I'm his grandson, Gary." They turned, and saw the former champion standing there.

"The picture next to mine is my friend and rival Ash Ketchum. He beat me out by a year." They looked at the picture of a kid with black hair, a League cap, and a Pikachu on his shoulder, his other Pokemon around him. "I'm also now the new gym leader for Viridian City, with Giovanni gone. Unless you two want the job instead..." 

"Gym leaders don't get to travel much, though, and Giovanni's been gone long enough as it is." Chris thought it might be intriguing, though. 

"Oh, no. They can travel. They just don't usually. I only plan to be there about half the time, after the initial crowds who've been waiting for Giovanni's return die down, anyways." 

"Maybe someday, then." Gloria was also interested. 

"Hey, you two should come and see me at my gym so we can battle." 

"Sure!" they replied together, making the others laugh. 

"Wow, you guys start a party without me?" Lance came back into the room. "You two, come with me, we'll prep your stuff." They followed him into the next room, where some machinery was set up. "Put your Pokeballs onto these trays, and then stand over here." They did so, and watched as the screen of the machine displayed a composite image of them and all their Pokemon. "It'd be really hard to take a full picture of all of you, so we do this instead. Everyone smile!" 

The image froze, with Chris and Gloria kissing instead of smiling, with their Pokemon all around them…


	21. The St Anne

"So, we're champions. Now what?" Gloria and Chris were looking at the picture they'd taken, now hanging on the wall. 

"Not just champions, the first pair to do so. I've never seen two people work so well together. You two would have won even under normal team rules, with the three each." 

"Thanks, Lance. That's pretty cool," they replied together.

"So are you two." Lorelei responded. 

"Well, now, who wants some lunch?" Agatha was standing by a side door into the room. 

"Lunch sounds very good right now." Lance started towards the door. 

"Yeah, let's eat! C'mon, Chris!" 

"Hey, alright, I'm coming!" Chris protested as Gloria pulled him after the others. 

They all went through the door, and down some stairs. They came out in a dining hall. "We sometimes eat in here, especially after we get a new champion. Or two, today." Bruno went and sat in a slightly larger chair, obviously meant for him. The others took their places, and passed a menu to the pair.

"The cooks already know what we want, since we always have the same when we come here." Lorelei looked like she was ready to eat what the cooks were about to bring. 

The two of them looked over the menu. "Grilled Cianwood trout with Conu fruit!" they called together. 

"Ah, a piece from each of your homes, I see. We'll bring it right out." The waiter walked into the kitchen. 

"You two have expensive tastes." 

"Not in our experience. I grew up on those fish." 

"And my family grows those fruits back home." 

Then together: "We'd never tried both until we met, though." 

The waiter returned with two others, all pushing carts of Pokemon food. "Ah, it's ready." Lance let out his Pokemon, and the others all followed suit. Chris noticed that both Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee wore splints. So did the others. 

"Wow, broke their bones? Must've been a vicious fight." That was Lance. 

"Yeah, they took me the whole way with the Cubone and Tyrogue. Should heal up pretty soon, with the medicine they've got." 

Cubone and Tyrogue went over to the two fighters, and apologized to them. They, in turn, bowed as best they could, acknowledging them as superior. 

"Both of them could go far in the P1 fights. Until they faced each other, anyways." 

They talked until their food came out. Then they dug in. The food was wonderful. "Oh, my compliments to the chefs!" Gloria exclaimed. 

"Ah, this is absolutely delicious!" Chris agreed. 

After they finished eating, they headed out into the lobby. Agatha gave them some tips before they left. "You asked earlier what was next. Well, I suggest traveling. Hoenn, Kanto, Shinnoh, there's a bunch of stuff out there to see. And maybe meet up with more of the Legends." 

"Ok, cool." 

"Thanks, we'll look into that. We'll keep in touch!" 

"Hey, we'll see you guys again!" 

Gloria and Chris headed out, as did Gary, on his way to reopen Viridian Gym. "Remember, come visit me at the Gym." 

"We will, Gary!" He then took off down the mountain, leaving the two of them there.

Then Chris's phone rang. "Hey, Chris. This is Rick."

"Hey. Let me put you on speaker."

"Alright. Hello, Gloria."

"Hi. What's up?" she asked.

"Is there any way you two could head over to Hoenn right now?" 

They looked at each other quickly. "Sure. Why?" 

"Archie wants to meet you."

They were both stunned. "Really? When?" Chris asked cautiously. 

"As soon as you can get there. He's expecting you to take a ship, of course, which adds a time buffer, but you'll probably want to head down to Vermilion right now. Olivine is closer to Lilycove, but I just checked the register, and they don't have any ships headed for there today. If you get there quickly, there's a few from Vermilion you can choose from." 

"Thanks Rick." 

"One other thing. Don't do anything hasty; we're not yet ready to make our move. Good luck you two!" 

"Bye Rick," they called, and then Chris hung up. 

"Well, let's go, Glo." He brings out Dratini, and Gloria brings out Skarmory. They both hop on and start for Vermilion. 

"Looks like we'll get to use these international champions' passes real quick, eh Chris?" 

"Considering that our other alternative is to ride Kyogre all the way there." 

They made really good time to Vermilion, and landed out by the docks. Chris went and looked at the dock's register, then started down the path. 

"Chris, which ship are we getting on?" 

"The St. Anne has the earliest arrival time." 

"Oh, really? The St. Anne? Awesome!" 

"It is? The name rings a bell, but..." 

"That's probably the most famous cruise ship in the world! They have big parties, for about a week, in every port they stop in, and tour the world every year." 

"Oh yeah! They stopped back at my island every year, too, though they'd only stay for four days, instead of a whole week." 

They headed over to the ship, and headed up the gangplank. 

"Ah, hello! We are honored to have such renowned guests aboard! No need for your passes, I know you have them." 

"Wait, what?" Gloria looked at him strangely. 

"I'm confused..." Chris had an even odder look on his face. 

"Why you two are celebrities! You've been on television more in this past week than most people are in their lifetimes. And League Champions as of just this morning. Indeed, you are most welcome here." 

Suddenly another passenger noticed them standing there. "Hey look! Look who it is!" A flood of people started to cram into the receiving room as word of their arrival spread. 

"Oh wow! It's really them!" 

"Such a quick rise for both of them." 

"They beat the Rockets and the League!" 

"Here, come with me." The attendant led them out of the crowd and down a hallway. Surprisingly, no one followed. 

"They're most of them celebrities in their own rights, so they know when to leave well enough alone," he responded when they asked him about it. "But yes, we watched the broadcast of your victory over the League this morning, on the televisions here." 

"It was broadcast?" Chris was still a little dazed by it all. 

"Yes. League challenges always are, on the League's own channel. And once people found out who was challenging…let's just say that it was hard to take our eyes off of such an amazing display."

"It was weird seeing people that I recognized from TV and such fawning after me." Gloria was a little flushed from the experience. 

"I was surprised by it myself. Actually, we would have sent you two an invitation to the party, if you'd beaten the Rockets before we got here. Instead it was the day after we put into port, and I had no way to get ahold of you. However, I do have one perk to offer. One of the Executive Suites is still open for this next leg, if you would like. And you are also invited to the party in Lilycove Port." 

"Thank you sir. How do you know all of this?" 

"Well, Gloria, I'm actually the captain. I saw you two flying into the port, and approaching my ship, so I wanted to come and see you personally. Also, Chris, I'd like to spar with you some time. I'm also a blademaster." 

"You're a blademaster? Wow. I'm actually not one, at least officially." 

"Well, judging by the way you fought in Silph, you should be. I have the authority to give you that title, actually. Let's spar, and we'll see. Anyways, here's the suite." He opened the door, and handed each of them a key. "There's a map of the ship in there on the table. It's time to get going, so I'll see you two later." 

"Goodbye Captain!" they called, then walked into the room. 

They were awed by the setup. It was huge! There was a television, a private heated bath in the next room, enough space that they could do the sparring match in there, and one huge bed.  
"Ooh, one bed." Chris winced. 

"Come on, Chris, it's not like it's small or anything. You could cut this in half and we'd still both fit comfortably on one of the halves." 

"Um yeah, I guess." 

"Chris, we slept closer than that the night you caught Kyogre. Get your head on straight and don't worry about it. It'll be fine." She took a swing at him, and he quickly ducked. 

"Yeah, you're right. And we can cross that bridge when we get there." 

They suddenly felt the ship starting to move. "When he said he was ready to go, he wasn't kidding. Look, the bridge isn't far from here." She pointed to it on the map, while Chris double-checked the schedule. 

"We're going to get to Lilycove around this time tomorrow. So we've got a while to just relax. What do you want to do?" 

Gloria went over the map. "Let's see...pools, gyms, sports courts, ballrooms, artificial hot springs, game corner, more places to eat than I can count...let's just head out and see what we encounter. It all sounds fun." 

So they did. They ended up socializing in one of the ballrooms first, talking with the other people there. More than once they met up with people they'd heard of before, from TV or radio, with whom they traded autographs. One of these was Bill, who had started the computer storage system. "They've been inviting me to these parties for years. I used to just give away my ticket, but I finally started coming out to them, and found that I actually enjoy them. Especially since I need to go see Lanette in Hoenn anyways." 

"Well, that's cool," Gloria said. 

"We've got someone we're meeting, too," Chris told him. 

"Ah, well good luck out there." 

"You, too," they said together. 

After a while in there, they moved on to one of the gyms. The captain met up with them while they were in there. 

"Ah, hey guys. So, Chris, you ready to go?" 

"Yeah, sure." Chris pulled his sword out of his pack and extended it. The captain had brought his own with him. The floor cleared, and the two combatants faced each other. Gloria stood in the middle to officiate. "Ready? Begin!" 

Chris prepared to launch the first strike, rushing in almost recklessly. The captain moved to counter the anticipated blow, and Chris shifted. He slid on the floor, slicing at the captain's legs as he slid past. The captain jumped over, and attempted to stab at Chris as he slid. Chris blocked, and swung again, the momentum carrying him to his feet. The attack was blocked, and they faced each other, ready for anything. 

The captain moved next, swinging low. Chris jumped and swung, hitting the captain's right arm. "Ow, nice one. However, I'm actually left handed." He shifted his sword to his other hand, and attacked in earnest. Chris found it hard to block the onslaught of blows. He bided his time, though, waiting for an opening. 

Suddenly, the captain pulled a reversal, hitting Chris's right leg. "Ooh, that smarts!" Chris started to hop on one leg, since by standard sparring rules, he now had no right leg. He was having a harder time blocking than before, so he went on the attack. He used the momentum of his hops to add to his attacks, setting the captain off balance. The captain took a swing at his other leg to try and end that onslaught. Chris hopped onto the sword, knocking it from the captain's hand, putting his own blade at the captain's neck.

"Ah, well, it would appear that you have won, Chris. You indeed are a blademaster. I've never seen anyone else block a series of attacks like that for as long as you did. Not to mention the way you can fight off a group of people. I doubt that I'd actually be able to fight as many enemies as you were against the Rockets and win, let alone multiple times. You have endurance, too. You have indeed earned your new title." The captain bowed, and the spectators applauded them both. 

"Nice job, Chris! You did great!" Gloria ran over to him, and she jumped into his arms and they kissed. The applause got louder. 

"Wonder if there's any way you can get certified as a great fighter, Glo." 

"I'd definitely say she's earned the highest rank I can think of." The Karate King came forward from the crowd. "I've watched the footage of your fights, and was especially impressed with how you fight, Gloria. It is very hard for most fighters to take on that many enemies, yet you seemed to do it with ease. Your father would be proud." 

"I can beat my father, and that made him proud enough. But thank you, King." Gloria started to blush, obviously flattered.

Later they went into a dining hall to eat dinner, and then spent the rest of the evening in one of the pools, diving, splashing, or just relaxing and floating with their Pokemon. Except for Cubone, who still hated the water. Then they headed straight back to their rooms, keeping their swimsuits on. They headed into the artificial hot spring attached to the room together, relaxing somewhat before bed. 

"Today was a really great day, don't you think?" 

"Of course, Chris. Winning the League Challenge, taking this cruise, it's been incredible." 

"Yeah. And we spent it all together." 

"Aw, that's sweet." 

"So are you, my dear." He went over and kissed her, long and lovingly. 

"Oh I love it when you do that!" 

"Of course. That's why I do it." He shot her a sly look, and then kissed her again. 

They spent a little longer in there, then got out and split off to get changed. Chris got dressed quickly, into a soft pair of pants that he usually kept stored away. Gloria took a little longer, and came out in a flowing nightgown. 

"Wow. I've never seen you not in pants or a swimsuit. Looks good." 

"Thanks. I only get this out for when actually sleeping in a bed. This really isn't well suited for sleeping in the wilds." 

"Same with these. I used them only for traditional dances back home, because they are really comfortable, but they aren't durable. In fact, the last time I wore these was on the ship that brought me to Kanto." 

They both got into the bed, lying in their own spaces. They found that they could actually lie down sideways and their feet wouldn't quite meet in the middle, the bed was that wide. They settled in to sleep. 

"Good night, my dear swordsman." 

"Good night, my beautiful brawler." They kissed one last time before settling in to sleep.


	22. Meeting in Lilycove

Chris woke up the next morning, and found that he was right next to Gloria, who was also waking up. 

"Ah! Sorry!" 

"Well, that was odd. Guess we moved a bit in our sleep." Gloria was taking it in stride, even if Chris wasn't. 

They both laughed halfheartedly. "Well, we should probably get dressed." Chris slid out his side of the bed, and walked over to where his stuff was. Gloria got out, too, straightening her nightgown before walking into the bathroom, where she'd left her clothes. They both got dressed quickly, and then headed off to breakfast. The nearest dining hall had a great breakfast selection, with waffles, pancakes, hash browns, and more. They ate their fill, and then headed up to the game corner. They spent the next few hours up there. Chris hadn't played electronic games much before this, but he caught on quickly. They really had fun with a dancing game, both following the presented patterns easily. After getting used to it, they even started switching places in the middle of the songs. 

After that, they headed into the ballroom, which was fairly empty at the time. They got up onto the stage, and called out their Pokemon. "Hey, let's practice our stuff a bit, guys." The Pokemon shouted in agreement, and Chris pulled out his Poke Flute. He began to play, a slower tune this time. Gloria again filled in with a wordless harmony, and started to slowly dance on the stage. Cubone began tapping out a rhythm, soft yet powerful. His bone made a very hollow sound as he tapped the floor. Skarmory, Ghastly, and Dratini started an aerial act, flowing with the melody. Togepi and Tamanta became little ballerinas, moving elegantly around the stage. Flaffy and Pikachu started to waltz together, their tails glowing with energy. Kyogre was on the floor in front of the stage, somehow creating a resonating bass line harmony to mesh with their music. 

They quickly started to gather a crowd, and by the end of the song there was a sizable group of people asking for more. They were happy to oblige, and Chris began the upbeat tune from the party in Saffron. Gloria, Cubone, and Kyogre quickly picked it up and joined the song, while the others shifted their patterns. They really had a show going, and the crowds grew. They really got pumped up during Chris and Gloria's aerial stunts. Since Kyogre was also creating harmony, it still blended with Cubone's rhythm while the two trainers flew atop Dratini and Skarmory. They also added to their stunts, jumping from one Pokemon to the other before riding down on Tamanta's and Gastly's attacks. Kyogre then shot off Water Sport, which Tamanta shot an ice beam through, sending tiny crystals of ice raining down among the crowd. As they slowed down to the end of the song, they could tell the crowd wanted more. Chris led into a third song, the faster one that he'd played in Cinnabar. He started to beat out the rhythm with his feet, and Cubone played a supporting rhythm with his club, swift and fancy. Gloria threw in a new harmony, that had a few words interspersed into it, and she also began to dance. Kyogre's bass line added excellent support, sounding almost like a tuba. Tamanta started floating about with Togepi riding her, both pulling aerial acrobatics as they flew amongst Skarmory, Gastly, and Dratini. Pikachu and Flaffy jumped out onto Kyogre, sending electrical blasts out into the room as they danced. Kyogre also started to make his glowing patterns shift in time with the music, creating a beautiful visual effect. The crowd really got pumped up over this song, as Chris and Gloria started to dance around one another. As the song ended, Chris noticed that the captain was coming over to them. 

"Well played! That was absolutely beautiful! Just so that you know, we've already docked in Lilycove. I'd guess that you didn't notice during your performance." 

"Thank you, captain. I guess we'll be going then," Chris said. The crowd had already begun to disperse. 

"Yes, thank you for everything on this trip. It was amazing! Chris and I really loved it." 

"Thank you, too. I enjoyed this leg much more than some of the others. I hope to see you later this week at the party." 

"We'll see if we can make it. Bye!" 

They and their Pokemon then left the ship, and headed into Lilycove to find Archie. However, Archie found them first. "Ah, there you two are. Come, in here." He led them into a small building. "I am Archie, and you are Chris and Gloria. Welcome to Hoenn." 

"Thanks, I guess." 

"Chris, show some respect for our leader." she slapped him on the back. 

"He's fine, Gloria. I prefer informal relationships with my officers. So, you've captured Kyogre for us. May I see?" 

"He's kind of too big to fit in this room with us. Maybe later." 

"Good point, Chris. Oh, and that was a lovely performance back on the ship. I got to see him there, anyways." 

"You were on the ship with us?" 

"Yes, Gloria, I was. I'd had some personal business in Kanto, and I can never pass up a trip on the St. Anne. You see, I am a former champion of the Hoenn league." 

"Wow, cool," they both said, duly impressed. 

"Anyways, let's head out to the base. It's out in the harbor cave." They went out to the beach, and Chris called out Kyogre to take them to the cave. "Very nice. Congrats again on catching him." Unseen by the two of them, and unfelt by Kyogre, Archie implanted a small chip into him as they climbed on. 

He then gave Chris and Gloria a tour of the base, telling them about Team Aqua's various exploits and missions. Some were truly horrendous, but they managed to keep straight faces throughout. 

"Now, thanks to you, we can move on to the final stage of our greatest plan. It will take a few days to prepare, and then we can get started. You can probably rest on the St. Anne, or you can stay here, until we are ready to move." 

"Thanks." 

"We'll be around." 

They got back on Kyogre and headed back into town. "I don't trust him, Chris." 

"I know, Kyogre. I know." 

"We know he's a bad guy, so that's why we want to take him down." They got to land, and Chris and Gloria decided to go find somewhere to eat...

They ended up going back to the ship for lunch. They also made arrangements to stay there for the next few days, in a normal cabin. Well, normal for a luxury cruise ship. It was still a very nice room, and had two beds instead of the one. Then they called Rick. 

"Hey guys, what's up? You meet him yet." 

"Yes, we met him about an hour ago," Gloria said. 

"He said that Kyogre is the final piece in his master plan, too," added Chris. 

"Oh, that's not good. Anything else?" 

"We've got a few days until he's ready. But we're not sure exactly how long." 

"Well, we'll have to make our move then. Thanks for that. Relax and prepare, you two." 

"Thanks, Rick!" He didn't react to their unison anymore, having gotten used to it. They ended the call, and prepared for what would come soon. Unnoticed by either, Kyogre's Pokeball started to glow eerily...

The next morning, they spent some time in the gym training their bodies and their Pokemon. They were left pretty much alone, since everyone else was partying. The captain stepped in for a little, sparring with Chris again, and he also sparred with Gloria, who beat him even faster. "Ooh, wow. I'm glad I'm on your side." He was massaging his wrist as he left. 

Around noon, they got a call from Rick. "Hey, I've just received word of an ingathering. He's going to want everyone there, it seems. This will be the time to strike. I'll make sure that our allies can keep the bad eggs under control. If we're all inside of the base, a few guards on the entrance will guarantee that." 

"Well, that's good," Chris nodded. 

"We'll be ready!" Gloria emphasized by thrusting her fist in the air. 

"Ok, good. I'll meet you when I get there." 

They ended the call, and headed out to get some lunch. Which meant getting pulled into the partying. Of course, they had fun with it, and ended up spending most of the afternoon there. Less people recognized them here in Hoenn than in Kanto, but there were still quite a few who knew them. That just added to their enjoyment, though. They spent a lot of time dancing, either together or on their own, depending on the song. 

Then at one point the DJ had them come up and perform. So they sent out their Pokemon to aid them, though Chris left Kyogre alone, since there wasn't room for him with the crowd. They performed a couple songs, two of the ones they'd performed previously, and then joined back in the crowds. Neither had yet noticed that Kyogre's Pokeball had now changed colors...


	23. The Storm Builds

That night, both Chris and Gloria slept fitfully, unconsciously sensing that something wasn't right. Their dreams were dark and inescapable, leaving them with a sense of dread that they couldn't quite dispel when they awoke in the middle of the night. 

"So, you're having a tough time too?" Chris asked. 

"Uh huh." 

"This is going to be big, I can feel it." 

"Something's going to go wrong, isn't it Chris?" There were tears in her eyes, which Chris tried to brush away. 

"I hope not, but I think you're right, Gloria." 

"I'm scared. I hate to admit it, but I am." 

"I know. So am I. I don't know why, but I am." 

They could sense the weakness in each other's voices, and they both moved to comfort the other, as they sat together in a chair in the room. They held each other, and slept until morning. 

Chris awoke first, nestled in the chair with Gloria in his arms. Though he was in hers just as much. He kissed her on the forehead, and she awoke as well. 

"So, how'd you sleep?" 

"A little better than before, but not much." 

"Likewise. Well, let's get ready to go." They kissed again before standing, then went and prepared for the day. They had taken advantage of sleeping in real beds and wearing pajamas to wash their travel clothes, so now they looked much cleaner than usual. 

"Um, Gloria, come look at this!" Chris called, finally noticing that Kyogre's ball had changed colors. 

"What is it?" She was just putting on her belt as she walked out to see what he was talking about. She gasped when she saw it. "That doesn't look good." 

"I doubt it is good. Pokeballs don't change color for no reason. They shouldn't change colors at all." There was worry in both of their voices as they looked at Kyogre's Master Ball. The design of the top half had completely reversed, with orange predominant and a purple M. The bottom half was now blood red. 

"But, how?" 

"I'm not sure, Gloria. Maybe Archie did something the other day. This doesn't bode well at all." 

Just then, their phones both rang. 

"Hey, Chris. I've just gotten in, and it looks like things are about to begin. Be ready." 

"Ok, Rick." He cut off abruptly. 

Meanwhile: 

"Ah, Gloria. It is time. I need you two to come over to the base immediately." 

"Yes sir, Archie." 

"And wear your uniforms, of course." 

"Yes, sir." 

They both hung up at about the same time. 

"Well, looks like it's time to move out." 

"We should probably find somewhere to change other than on this ship. I doubt that Aquas would find favor here." 

"Good point, Glo. There are changing huts down on the beach that we can probably use. Let's ride Skarmory and Dratini over, though. I don't trust using Kyogre just now." 

"Not with that color change on his Pokeball," Gloria agreed. 

They left the ship, and went to the beach where they quickly changed to their uniforms. They got some odd looks from the beach-goers as they got on their Pokemon and rode out to the cave. 

"Ah, good, you're here." Rick met them as they arrived, also in uniform. "Archie is waiting for us in the back. We are ready to move, so we'll rely on you two." 

"Ok, Rick. Thanks." Chris slipped his sword from his pack into his pocket. 

"I just hope this works." Gloria pulled on her gloves, flexing her hands. 

"I believe in you two. Good luck." They then walked into the main room, where Archie and the other leaders were waiting.

"Ah, you're here. The time has come. Come here, both of you." Chris and Gloria walked up to where Archie was. "It is the time to begin the deluge!" 

"I think not, Archie." Chris pulled out his sword. 

"Your time as our leader has come to an end." Gloria got into her fighting stance. 

"Oh really? I think not." Archie pushed a button on a remote, and the spot he was standing on suddenly rose out of the floor. "Oh, and thank you so much for that ride the other day, Chris." He pushed a combination of buttons, and Kyogre's Pokeball suddenly flew away from Chris's belt, radiating a dark glow. "Now, get them!" Archie shouted as he grabbed the ball from the air. 

"Uh-oh. This isn't good, Chris." 

"I know. We have to get Kyogre back!" 

Fortunately, the Aquas were very intimidated by the pair. It also helped that Rick's allies aided in the milling, discouraging action with tales of their fight with the Rockets. Rick himself pointed at Giovanni's arm, on a plaque there in the room. 

"Well, let's go," Chris whispered, and Gloria nodded. 

"Going up!" Chris stepped on Gloria's hands, and she tossed him up in the air. He grabbed onto a ceiling beam, since Archie's platform was now floating away. 

"You coming?" Chris hung there as Gloria jumped, and she grabbed onto his feet. He then swung, allowing her to grab the beam, too. "Good. Let's get moving." They moved hand over hand along the beam, slowly pursuing Archie. Fortunately, none of the walls actually reached the ceiling, being more of temporary structures than anything else. 

Behind them, a riot of noise erupted. "I guess Rick has made his move." Gloria moved on a little faster, as they approached a light source. 

"Well, this sure wasn't part of the tour!" Chris commented about the other areas they saw beneath them. 

"Hey, look! There's a submarine down there! C'mon, Chris!" Gloria dropped from the beam onto the top of a wall, and from there to the floor. Chris quickly followed suit. 

"Hold it, Archie!" they both called. 

"Too late, 'heroes'. The chip I implanted the other day will ensure my control over Kyogre. The deluge will begin!" He jumped into the sub, and shut the airlock behind him. 

"I don't think so!" Gloria dashed forward, jumping onto the sub fist first, punching through the thin hull. 

"You won't get away!" Chris sliced through the airlock hatch. 

"Hah! I don't need to submerge to get away!" Archie set the sub in full drive, straight towards the low exit. Chris and Gloria barely jumped off before they would have hit the rock wall. 

"No! Blast!" Chris shouted. 

"We'll get him, Chris. Later. It's not like he'll be able to hide when he uses Kyogre's ability." 

"I know, but still..." 

They got out of the water, and went back into the main part of the base. They quickly met up with Rick. 

"Ah, did you catch him?" 

"No, he got away." 

"We put some holes in his sub, at least." Gloria flexed, relieving soreness from the punch. 

"And he doesn't have any more support, either. We've broken the rest of Team Aqua, and the criminal element is now gone. Let's get to work returning stolen Pokemon to their trainers first." 

"How?" They were both curious, and Chris was eager to have something to think about other than Kyogre. 

"ID numbers. I've got a machine that scans a Pokemon and will tell you its Original Trainer's ID. Then it's just a matter of having people come and retrieve them, or sending them out." 

"Sweet! Let's get to work!" Chris was glad that he would have something to do to keep his mind off of Kyogre, at least for a while…


	24. The Eye of the Storm?

They found that the task was easier said than done. It wasn't hard to find and sort all of the stolen Pokemon; the hard part was getting them back to their trainers. Validation wasn't hard, since every trainer had their number on their ID cards, but it was hard to get the word out. It helped that the St. Anne was in the bay, though, since many of the trainers on board had been robbed by Aquas before. Chris and Gloria were easily able to spread word of the coup on the ship, gaining another dose of popularity, and local news crews helped out, too. Within the first day, a quarter of the cache had been returned. But things slowed to a crawl after that. 

"Don't worry, you two. Most of their victims live further away, and it will take them a while to get here. Hey, tomorrow is the St. Anne's last day in port. Go to the party and enjoy yourselves, it's not like we need you here for this." 

"Thanks Rick. We'll do that." 

They still spent their nights on the ship, too, enjoying the luxury while it lasted. And yet still neither could sleep very well, and they ended up spending their nights sitting together in that chair in order to sleep at all. Both could sense that the danger was far from over. 

They spent the next day at the party, trying to enjoy themselves, but their hearts weren't in it. At one point the captain asked them to perform one last time. At first they declined, but he managed to convince them to do it. They went to the stage and brought out their Pokemon, who were just as worried as their trainers. Chris started to play, and produced a mournful eulogy, to which Gloria added plaintive, heartful tones. Cubone didn't drum, but instead merely tapped his club with his hands, the hollow sound echoing through the hall. None of the Pokemon danced, though Dratini and Skarmory flew, slowly arcing over the crowd. The others all sang, from the soprano of Tamanta, and Togepi, to Flaffy's and Clefairy's alto blending with Gloria's, to the Tenor of Beldum and Pikachu, down to Tyrogue's baritone and Gastly's bass, which was a haunting echo of Kyogre's tones. Eventually Skarmory and Dratini landed, adding an alto and soprano, respectively. Skarmory and Beldum's metallic duet struck a powerful chord as they harmonized. 

By the end of the song, there wasn't a dry eye in the room, as the song had brought tears to performers and listeners alike. Afterwards, Chris, Gloria, and their Pokemon all left the ship, heading back to the base. 

"Chris, don't worry, we'll get him back." 

"But will we do it in time?"

Back at the base, they met up with Rick. "Hey, you two. Looks like the party didn't help much after all." 

"Too many memories, Rick. The only thing that will really help will be to get him back." 

"You will, but we have to find him first." 

"We know, Rick. But the waiting is hard." 

"Well, hanging around here isn't helping either of you. Why not go somewhere that doesn't have as many memories of him?" 

"Thanks Rick. I'll try." 

"Hey, Chris, maybe we could head to Cianwood? My parents would love to see me, and would probably like to meet you." 

"Sounds good. Tomorrow?" 

"Yeah, since I doubt any ships will be leaving here for there until then." 

"Well, I'll miss you two, but I think this will be better for you. And I'll keep in touch with you, if we find anything." 

"Thanks Rick. Is there anywhere in here for us to stay tonight? The St. Anne is leaving for Sinnoh soon, so we can't sleep there." 

"Yeah, Glo. You two can probably use Archie's room, or there's the barracks. Or there are a couple of Admin rooms you might be able to use." 

"Thanks." 

They went in, and found that one of the Admin rooms was indeed vacant, though it only had one small bed. So they grabbed another bed from one of the barracks and stuffed it in there with it. Chris then checked on the schedule for passenger ships, to see when the next one would be leaving for Johto. 

"Dang, there's not one leaving for a few days. Nor has one left for there since we got here." 

"Hang on; I know how to solve this." Gloria came over to help him. "Here, this one will take us to a port where we're bound to find a ship to Olivine. Olivine really doesn't get much direct traffic, but they get a bunch of stuff directed through the Orange Islands." 

"Nice. I've heard some nice things about that archipelago, too. Meaning it will remind me too much of home to stay there very long." 

"Well, we might have to wait one or two days, but no longer than that if things go well." 

"Ok, so that ship leaves tomorrow morning? Looks like we'll have a good trip." 

"Oh, and look at the arrival time. We'll be into port by dinnertime tomorrow. Meaning we can get some local cuisine for dinner." 

"But of course. Speaking of which, it's dinnertime now. Let's go eat." 

"Okay, Chris, let's go." 

They headed out into Lilycove, and went to a nice seafood restaurant. "Ooh, sushi!" 

"Wow, I haven't had that for quite a while. Let's go in, Gloria." They ate their fill at the sushi restaurant, and then went back to the base for another fitful night...


	25. Shamouti Island

That night was even rougher than the nights before it. Even Clef's Sing and Gastly's Hypnosis couldn't help Chris and Gloria sleep. They would doze off, but they'd wake right back up. Eventually, at about five in the morning, they just gave up, and went outside together. "I wonder when we'll find them?" 

"I don't know, Gloria. Part of me wants it to be soon; yet another part of me wants it to never come, the part that's afraid of what might happen." 

"I know. I don't want to lose you, Chris." 

"I don't want to lose you, either. Hopefully it won't come to that." Chris leaned over and kissed her, and they held each other close. 

They spent the next couple of hours walking around hand in hand, checking out the base. They ate breakfast, then went to help out with returning the Pokemon again. They were working now at trying to find a way to learn where the trainers were at, or at least where there homes were. They wanted to make sure that all of the Pokemon were returned to their trainers safely. The one bright spot in their morning was when a girl named Sam came in and got her Ralts back that had been stolen. 

"Oh, I'm so glad that you're safe!" 

"Yay! Sam, you found me!" 

"Heh, that's really sweet. I'm glad that we could help you." Chris gave a little bow, and the girl giggled. 

"Thank you so much!" 

"It was our pleasure." Gloria gave a mock curtsy, making the girl and her Ralts laugh. Chris and Gloria laughed too, though they still felt that nagging inside. 

Later on, they went and got onto the ship to take them to the Orange Islands. They ate lunch on the ship, and kept to themselves in their cabin. 

"So, what are the Orange Islands like?" 

"I'm not really sure. I've only been there once or twice, and have just been on the one island where the port is." 

"Ah. Okay. What do you remember though?" 

"I remember that there are five main, larger islands, and a bunch of smaller ones. Those five contain four gyms and a League challenge, if I remember right." 

"Heh, maybe in the future we could challenge that league." 

They continued to talk until they got into the port, when they got off the ship. 

"Wait, something's not right. This doesn't look like what I remember at all. Don't tell me that..." She ran over to where a map of the islands was posted. 

"What's wrong, Glo?" 

"We're on the wrong island! I'd noticed that it was coming to the Orange Islands, but I'd forgotten the name of the island I'm used to. We're on the wrong end of the archipelago!" 

"Ouch. Well, how hard will it be to get to the other end?" 

"Probably a few days. None of the larger ships make that trip, and I don't see any going from here to Olivine, either." 

"Did you say Olivine?" They turned to see an older girl walking up to them. "Yeah, the only way to there from here is through the other port. I'm actually heading down there tomorrow, if you two need a ride." 

"Oh, thank you!" Gloria jumped at hearing that. 

"We'd really appreciate that." Chris wasn't in much mood for jumping, but he did appreciate the gesture. 

"Ok, I'll meet you two in the Pokemon Center tomorrow morning. My names Caroline, by the way." 

"I'm Gloria, and he's Chris." 

"Thank you for helping us." 

"Oh, one thing, tomorrow night we'll be stopping at Shamouti Island. They have a really cool festival that they put on every year." 

"Sure, I guess that works." 

"Probably can't sail well by night anyways, or at least safely." 

"You got that right, Chris. So it's not like it's a delay or anything." Caroline turned and started to walk off. "Tomorrow morning, remember!" 

"Okay! Thanks again!" Caroline missed a step, but kept on her way. 

"Well, Chris, let's go and get something to eat." 

"Ok, sure. I probably won't eat much, though. I don't have much of an appetite today." 

"Eh, I understand. But we need to eat something. Let's go." Hand in hand they walked into town to find someplace to eat.

The Pokemon Center turned out to be booked full already when they got there, but that didn't bother them too much, with how they'd been sleeping the previous few nights. So they ended up sitting together in a chair in the main lobby of the Pokemon Center, comforting each other through the night. 

Caroline woke them up the next morning. "Hey, sorry, guess I should have warned you that it might have been full. Anyways, let's get some breakfast and get going." 

"Okay." Caroline's misstep was slightly less noticeable. 

They ate there at the center, and then headed out to her boat. "Well, let's get going then. I want to get there before the festivities start. By the way, they may end up having you two participate in the festivities, too. They like to get travelers involved whenever possible." 

"Okay, cool." Gloria wasn't too sure about that, but figured she'd go along with it. 

"Yeah, I guess so. Maybe a distraction like this will help." Chris hoped that it would. He didn't want to forget Kyogre, but he wanted to forget his problems for a while. 

They went along peacefully for most of the day, and Chris and Gloria spent a little time fishing as they went along, though all that they caught were Magikarp. 

"Heh, I know that they evolve into Gyarados, but they're such a hassle to get to that point." 

"There's a lake in Johto that was supposedly made by Gyarados rampaging. They're a hassle either way, just stronger once they evolve." 

"Hah, good point, Gloria." 

"Hey you two, look ahead of us. There's Shamouti Island." 

They looked, and saw a beautiful tropical island ahead of them. "Oh wow!" Gloria exclaimed. 

"Heh, reminds me of home, really." Gloria nodded in agreement. 

"Well, we're almost there. Prepare to go ashore!" Suddenly the wind picked up, blowing them even faster in towards the island. "Blast, this gale won't help us. The harbor's protected by a reef, which is pretty tough to navigate. I know the way through, but I'll have a hard time making it at this speed." 

"We'll try and help!" Caroline gave them a funny look, more for what they said than for how they said it. 

"Dratini, help us get through!" 

"Skarmory, try and slow us down!"  
Dratini headed out ahead of the ship, spotting the safe path through the reef. Skarmory beat her wings to try and blow the little boat backwards, though it didn't slow very much. Dratini got ready to help steer the ship. 

"Here we go! Brace yourselves!" Chris and Gloria grabbed onto the rails as the ship entered the reef. Dratini hit the ship with a well timed Hydro Pump, barely averting a collision. As they entered the harbor, the wind suddenly died. 

"Microburst. I'm sure glad that you two were here, or my goose would have been cooked! Can your Skarmory help blow us in to the beach?" 

Skarmory nodded, and helped the little ship dock on the island. A crowd quickly gathered around. 

"Hey, we've got a welcoming committee! Hey guys!" 

"Caroline, good to see you again." A young woman came out of the crowd. 

"Likewise Melody. I've got passengers this time, too. Meet Chris and Gloria." 

The crowd, who had started dancing around a bit, suddenly went still. "Wait, you mean THE Chris and Gloria? The Kanto League Champions?" Melody asked. 

"Heh, guess our reputation preceded us after all, Chris." 

"This island may look primitive, but they've obviously got some tech to know who we are," Chris responded. 

"Wait, you're telling me that you really are...I brought you the whole way here, and I didn't realize that?" Caroline hit her forehead with her palm. "Wow, it's an honor to meet you." 

"We're all honored." Melody came forward, and shook their hands. 

"Indeed we are. Welcome to our island." An old man, apparently the local leader, came forward as well. "We would indeed be honored if the two of you joined us in our celebration this year." 

"Sure, we'll join you." 

The crowd broke out in a cheer, not caring that they spoke in unison, and they started to dance again. The wind was still dead, yet no one noticed as they headed inland to begin their festivities...


	26. Island Hopping

Chris and Gloria were seated at the front of the dining hall, next to a small stage. They ate in relative quiet, looking at each other often. 

As they finished the meal, Melody came out onto the stage, in a different outfit. She pulled out a beautifully crafted ocarina, and began to play and dance. The tune was simple, yet beautiful. Chris's hand itched to dig into his bag to get his flute, yet this was her performance.  
She finished her song, and started to chant, reciting an ancient legend about the islands. "Disturb not the harmony of fire, ice, and lightning, lest these titans wreak destruction upon the world in which they clash..." Chris was lost in the words, wrapped up in the story that they told. "And the world shall shout 'Gloria, Gloria', though it is faced with desolation." 

Chris perked up, and looked at Gloria. She looked back, and replied to his questioning glance in a whisper. "The word means 'glory'. The origin of my name, but I doubt it means anything." 

Melody finished the chant, and came down to the two of them. "So, you two get to be the chosen ones for the ceremony this year, if that works with you. Heck, your name is even in the legend. By tomorrow evening, you need to bring back the treasures from each of the islands near here, Fire, Ice, and Lightning. There is a pedestal up on that side of the island where you will put them. That work with you two?" 

"Don't worry about me, you two, my schedule's wide open." Caroline walked over to them. "This is all on you. You don't have to accept." 

"We'll do it." No one was surprised by their unison now. It was almost their trademark. 

"Okay then! So how do you want to do this? You going to pull an all-nighter, or go in the morning?" 

"I'll take you two around in my boat to the different islands, if you want." 

"Eh, we'll take care of it ourselves. We can just ride Dratini and Skarmory." Chris felt ready to go, mostly because he knew he wouldn't sleep anyways. 

"We'll take off when we're ready, too. The treasures are at the peaks, right?" Melody nodded, and Gloria reached over and put her hand on Chris's. They stood, and walked out onto a balcony together. Melody moved to follow them, but Caroline stopped her. 

"They'll want to be alone. It feels different this year, somehow." 

"I know, Caroline, and I don't like it. But if anyone can help, it'd be those two and their Pokemon." 

Chris and Gloria sat on a bench and looked out at the sea. "So, Gloria, we get another chance to be heroes, even if only for this festival. And yet..." 

"And yet something doesn't seem right. Like it's really going to be more than it seems. I think that we may want to get going right now." 

"Yeah. It's not like we were going to sleep, anyways, the way this past week has been. Let's go." Together they hiked a trail that Melody had mentioned that led around to the other side of the island. They came to a ledge that overlooked the west shore, with a pedestal in the middle, and seven stone pillars around it in a circle. 

"Well, we know where we need to get back to. And there are the three islands out there." Chris pointed out to the silhouettes in the moonlit sea. 

"If we're going to do this, let's do it! Skarmory, let's go!" 

"Ok Dratini, time to ride!" Their Pokemon came out, and the trainers hopped on. 

"South or North first, Chris?" 

"South." He wondered why he'd said it, but since it sounded as reasonable as anything else, they went with it, and flew off towards the southern island.

They arrived on the island relatively quickly, landing as near the peak as they could go. They saw a small stone pavilion positioned on an overhang, which looked into the crater of a dormant volcano. "I'd guess that that's the shrine. Let's go, Gloria." They ran over and in, and found a small yellow sphere. They both grabbed it, and pulled it from its niche, wedged into the mouth of a statue of Zapdos. As it came free in their hands, it started to glow. 

"Guess that this is Lightning Island, eh Chris? Let's keep going. At this rate we'll finish by morning." 

They went back out, and were about to take off when the wind suddenly and fiercely started to blow. 

"Something tells me that this isn't a good sign." Dratini looked worried. 

"Ack, there's no way I'll be able to fly in this. Where did it come from so quickly?" Skarmory turned her back to the wind coming from the west, the whistle that it made as it passed over her the only sound in the formerly still night. 

"Guess we're swimming to the next island, if the water isn't too rough." Gloria started walking towards the trail leading down to the beach, and Chris followed. 

Suddenly, Zapdos rose out of the crater. "Something has disturbed the harmony of the elements. Was it you?" He shot a wave of electricity at them, striking all four of them. 

"We're sorry, Zapdos, we didn't know!" Gloria pulled the sphere out of her pocket where she'd put it, extending it back to him. 

"The locals said that they do this every year, and asked us to do it for them." Chris was on the ground, stunned by the electric blasts. Skarmory had fainted from them, and Dratini looked shaken. 

Zapdos eyed the two humans, landing in front of them. Then he looked at the sphere. "No, it can't be! You two, you must go to the other two islands, and retrieve the orbs there, quickly! Something devastating is coming, and we will need the combined power of the orbs to stand a chance against it. Go now!" Zapdos took to the sky, shooting lightning again, and the winds calmed somewhat. 

Chris and Gloria stood, and called their Pokemon back to their balls, then ran back down the mountain. Zapdos flew near them, bristling with energy. When they arrived at the beach, the water was eerily still, though the wind still howled. 

"Something isn't right about this. There should be large waves coming from this wind, but there aren't any." 

"I know, Chris. Something big is coming." 

Together they swam over to the next island, and ran through an icy forest. The path led to a cave that went up the mountain. "I can go no further into Articuno's territory. You two must continue. Go!" Zapdos retreated back toward his own island, but he didn't roost. Instead, he flew a patrol around it, his anxiety plain. 

Chris and Gloria ran through the cave, winding their way to the top. "This is a volcanic vent, it would seem. These three islands look so different, yet they were all formed by volcanic activity." 

"Yeah. It's odd how the same force of nature can exhibit itself so differently. Now, less talking and more running, Chris. You can theorize later!" She emphasized this by running faster herself, trying to outdistance him, though he accelerated as well, a step behind her. 

Eventually they reached a bowl at the top of the mountain, the last crater at the peak. The shrine sat on the opposite side from the cave exit, and they ran over to it. They pulled the blue orb from the mouth of Articuno's statue, which also started to glow, then went back out. But before they could reenter the cave, the peak was rocked with an explosion, and the resulting rockslide sealed the exit. 

They looked behind them at the source of the explosion. A large airship was hovering behind them, and had shot a missile that had sealed the cave. Suddenly, the bottom of the airship opened, releasing a swarm of metal rings in various shapes. Gloria and Chris watched as Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres all moved in to attack the ship, and were assaulted by the rings. 

"Gloria, let's go! We can run down the side of the mountain, but we have to move!" he tugged at her arm, and she followed him to the north slope. At first they actually slid down the mountain, as the peak was covered in ice, but they gained footing as the terrain became rocky, their fighters' training helping them stay upright. As they reached the bottom, they saw that the cliff ran strait into the sea. They kept running until they were in the water, and then began to swim. 

"Is it just me, Chris, or is the water a lot colder now?" 

"It's not just you. Something is happening. Look out!" Suddenly Moltres fell right in front of them, plunging into the sea. Some of the strange rings followed, and pulled her back out, bound in an energy field. They looked, and saw Articuno and Zapdos had also been captured, and were being drawn into the airship. 

"We've got to keep moving! Hurry Chris!" They continued to swim, hoping that the people in the airship had forgotten them. 

They hadn't. Within moments, two more rings surrounded the pair, who had no way to fight back while swimming, and a wave of electricity passed through them, rendering them unconscious as they were pulled into the ship...


	27. Captured!

Chris felt groggy as he started to wake up, and couldn't remember exactly where he was. It was too dark for him to see anything, either. After a moment, he realized that he was chained on a wall. 

"Okay, I'm guessing that I was captured somehow, but I have no idea of by whom or when." 

"Chris, is that you?" Chris was filled with relief when he heard her voice, though he still couldn't see her. 

"Gloria? Yes, it's me." 

"Oh, I'm so relieved. I thought I was all alone in here." 

"Well, then you're more alert than I am. I hadn't even thought of that yet. I just woke up. You?" 

"I've been awake for about ten or fifteen minutes, at my best guess. And I know how you feel. My head felt like that when I first woke up too. It passes quickly." 

Chris could tell that she was right. He now remembered being captured by those strange rings. He could also feel that he wasn't wearing anything beyond his boxers. "So, they've got everything of mine, apparently. My sword, my pack, my Pokemon, and that Ice Orb." 

"Yeah, same here. This metal wall isn't very comfortable on my bare back." 

"Agreed. But how do we get out of here?" 

"You don't." Suddenly, the lights turned on, blinding them both. "Welcome to my lab, famed champions." 

"Who are you, exactly? And why did you take our clothes?" Gloria asked. 

"Because, my dear, a man or woman is never as confident in their underwear as they are when clothed. And because I couldn't attach the electrodes to you through the clothing, no matter how damp it was." 

"Electrodes?" Chris realized as his sight returned that there were small circles with cords attached to his body in various places. He saw that Gloria, on the adjacent wall, was in the same situation. 

"From champions to guinea pigs!" the scientist pushed a button, and Chris and Gloria were both zapped with electricity. "You two will make an extremely interesting study." 

"Heh, I doubt that your boss will let us live that long, Rocket." Chris wondered why Gloria had said that, but then noticed the red R on the man's shirt. 

"Oh, Giovanni wishes you tortured, my new pets. Him and Archie both." 

"Archie!" The man ignored their unison, zapping them again. 

"Yes. The former Aqua boss is now in league with Giovanni, and they plan to either rule or destroy the world. I'm not particularly sure which. But this spot in the Orange Islands will be perfect for the rise of their plans, so they say. And with three legendary birds added to their fleet..." The doctor started to cackle. Gloria started to cry as he walked out of the room. 

"Oh, Chris, we've failed! We couldn't do it! And now, now they're..." she started to sob, unable to speak. 

Tears were also streaming from Chris's eyes. "I know. I know, but...but I'm not going to give up just yet!" Chris braced against the wall, and started to pull at his chains. "We will get out of here, we're not guinea pigs or lambs set for the slaughter!" He continued to pull, hoping that maybe... 

"Oh Chris!" Gloria stopped crying, and began to pull at her own chains, trying to break free. Suddenly, a weak link in the chain on Chris's right arm snapped, as did one from Gloria's left arm. 

"Ha! Yes!" They reached over and clasped hands, using the added leverage to pull on their other chains. Gloria's broke first, sending her tumbling forward. If not for holding Chris's hand, she would have hit the floor hard. Instead she ran face first into Chris's chest. She kissed that chest, then braced herself to help pull Chris down. The final chain broke, and they both tumbled to the floor. 

"Booyeah, we did it Glo!" 

"We're not out of the woods yet, Chris. Here, put these back on." She tossed him his clothes from the table where they were sitting, and put her own back on. 

"Dang, pockets are empty. We'll have to find out where they've got the rest of our stuff, and our Pokemon." 

"Uh-oh, someone's coming!" Gloria pointed to the door that the doctor had used, then ducked behind it. Chris ducked under the desk as the door opened. 

"Well, my pets, time for the probing to begin!" 

"I think not." Gloria stepped out from behind the door and wrapped her arm around the man's neck. 

"And I don't want to know what those tools were meant for." Chris stood up and walked over, causing the doctor to drop the tray of devices and syringes he'd been carrying. He picked up a surgical knife from the desk and held it to the man's nose. "Tell us what we want to know, and we'll not have to become violent with you. I know that Gloria would love to break your neck right now, and I'd love to plant this in either your frontal lobe or your jugular vein." He spun the knife between his fingers. The doctor almost fainted. 

"Okay! I'll tell you! What do you want to know?" 

"Where are our Pokemon?" Gloria's grip tightened a hair. 

"In the next room, along with most of the rest of your things!" 

"Most?" Chris ran the back of the blade down the vein of the man's arm. 

"Yes, most. The two orbs you had are in the possession of Archie and Giovanni." 

"Anything else?" 

"Not about your possessions, that's all of them." 

"Where are Archie and Giovanni?" 

"On the bridge. There are maps all over the place, since those stupid grunts can't find their way otherwise." 

"Well, I'd say he's been pretty useful, what about you Chris?" 

"I can't think of any more questions." 

"Then you'll let me go?" he asked hopefully. 

"Not quite." Gloria hit him in the head with her other hand, knocking him out cold, then dropped him on the floor. Then she and Chris walked into the next room. 

Their Pokeballs were floating inside of containment tubes, and their packs, Chris's sword, and Gloria's gloves were in a display case. 

"Hmph, trophies. Guess they made them feel important or powerful for having caught us like that."

"He mentioned adding Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres to their fleet. Do you think that they could control them, or our Pokemon, somehow?"

"I wouldn't put it past them. Especially after what they did to Kyogre. Let's go." Chris moved over and smashed the tubes holding the Pokeballs, retrieving them, and Gloria did the same with the display case. 

An alarm started to sound through the base. "Well, I guess we should have expected that, really. Let's go!" Gloria tossed Chris his pack and sword, and he tossed her Pokeballs to her. They then moved out into the Rocket Airship.

"Gah, this things a flying fortress!" 

"And I just realized a question we should have asked. I wonder where Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres are?" They were standing in front of a mounted map, two unconscious grunts at their feet. 

"My guess would be here, Chris." Gloria pointed to a room on the map with three circles on it. 

"Yeah, I'd guess so. That should be our first stop. If we can free them, it should help our cause. And it's on our way to the bridge from here, anyways." They both ran down the corridor, ignoring the alarm that was still blaring. They had seen about twenty grunts so far, who were now all unconscious in various places along their path. 

They entered a room, and froze. The grunts had gotten smart, and staged an ambush. At least fifty Rockets and their Pokemon were waiting, as well as a few men in team Aqua uniforms. Chris and Gloria sent out their Pokemon, and the battle began. 

Their Pokemon were more confident than before, and didn't clump up as much, though they still paired off. Gastly was a lone wolf, moving about and putting enemies to sleep left and right, or using Shadow Ball to take them down. Dratini and Skarmory were together as usual, roving and attacking in tandem. Pikachu and Flaffy did their usual thing, too, building their electricity together for powerful attacks. Tyrogue and Beldum worked together to plow through opposition with Fighting and Steel attacks. Togepi and Clefairy paired up, using their Elemental Metronome to hit enemies with the elements that did the most damage. Cubone and Tamanta backed each other up, and although there was little that they could do to build the other's attacks, they covered each other when needed. 

Chris and Gloria fought as they usually did, breaking through the human threats that they faced. Many of the Rockets now had blades, having learned from last time, but they were hindered instead of helped due to their lack of ability with those blades. Back to back, Chris and Gloria wreaked havoc among the enemy ranks. And again they used signals that they only understood as they did or received them. The energy of the battle flowed through them, and they danced with their enemies, a dance of deadly grace. 

Soon, all of their enemies were down. But they didn't leave just yet. Tyrogue, Beldum, Ghastly, and Dratini all started to glow brightly. 

"Wow, all four at once! They're evolving, Chris!" 

"I've never seen an evolution before, this is amazing!" Chris and Gloria looked at their new Hitmontop, Metang, Haunter, and Dragonaire in amazement, and then the group ran on deeper into the base, not bothering to call the Pokemon back into their balls. 

At one point their path took them to an inner hole in the base, to where there were viewports to the outside. They saw that it was raining very heavily. 

"Oh no, they've started. They're using Kyogre's powers," Gloria wailed. 

"I won't let this continue, Gloria, not anymore. I failed to keep Kyogre out of their grasp, but I will save him!" 

They ran on, quickly eliminating any enemies they encountered, and found themselves in the large room they had aimed for. Sure enough, Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were there, still trapped within the rings that had captured them, and currently unconscious. 

"We've got to find some way to get them out! Let's try attacking these fields, to see if they break." 

"Yeah, good idea, Glo. They were able to attack the rings before; we should be able to now. Everyone, let's try to get these guys out of their cages!" They split up and started to attack the force fields. Togepi, Tamanta, Clefairy, and Cubone worked on Articuno's shield, as did Chris. Gloria led the attack on Zapdos's cage with Metang, Hitmontop, Pikachu and Flaffy. Haunter, Dragonaire, and Skarmory worked on Moltres's shield. At first, their attacks were ineffective, but they did wake up the three legendary birds, and at that point things changed. The three birds aided in attacking their own shields, and the combined energy from inside and outside was more than the machines could bear. Three explosions sounded simultaneously as the cages were broken. 

"Thank you for freeing us." Articuno stretched, testing its wings. 

"You two must continue, though. Retrieve the three orbs and awaken Lugia. Only with his power will we stand a chance against Kyogre." Zapdos was worried, anxious about what was happening. 

"This cataclysm must be stopped, and only you can do it." Moltres shot off a stream of flame, burning a path for the three birds to get outside. They left, leaving Gloria, Chris, and their Pokemon to continue on to the bridge, where their main enemies were waiting.

Chris and Gloria came to the bridge, which was a long, narrow room with various control panels in it. Giovanni and Archie were at the front, the two orbs on small pedestals behind them. 

"Ah, the heroes have arrived, Archie." 

"So they have, Giovanni. What ever are we going to do?" 

"You're going to stop this, if you know what's good for you!" They continued across the room, until they ran into an invisible barrier. 

"Hah, you think that we'd let you ruin our plans? Not even close." 

"Release Kyogre, Archie!" Chris sliced at the shield, his blade now bared. 

"He's already out, Chris. Just look!" Through the viewport at the front, they could see Kyogre, his eyes now blank as he summoned the deluge. 

"You won't get away with this!" Gloria and the Pokemon started to attack the shield as well. 

"To think that I let you two children disrupt my plans in Saffron. Do you two know how many men you killed that day?" 

"Wait, killed?" Chris was stunned. 

"You mean we..." Gloria fell to her knees, and vomited. Chris almost fell over backwards, stricken by the revelation. He sank to his knees as well, dropping his blade. Both of them started to cry, their presumed innocence torn from their grasp. 

"Hah, you two really thought that those men could survive the beating you gave them?" Archie started to laugh. 

"Between the two of you and your Pokemon, you killed nearly forty people, from crushed windpipes to internal bleeding to crushed skulls, and more. Then there are those that you maimed, scarring them for life. They wish to repay you, by the way." Giovanni pushed a button on the arm of his chair, and doors slid open all around the room. They could see dozens of rockets seated there, most wearing bandages or casts, all of them holding guns. And all aiming at them. 

"No..." Gloria heaved, but nothing came. 

"So, this is how it ends for the heroes?" Archie laughed again, his laugh haunting the humans condemned to die. 

"Is this really how it ends?" Chris placed his hand on Gloria's, and she grasped it. At least they would go out together. 

"Ready men? Fire!"


	28. Legendary Power, Legendary Sacrifice

The room was filled with the sound of gunfire. Chris and Gloria flinched, expecting the end. Yet they didn't feel anything but each other. They looked, and saw Metang in front of them, blocking the bullets. 

"Metang..." 

"Gloria, it was a pleasure to be on your team. It...is worth it...to sacrifice myself for you. Good luck in your life...together." 

"No!" 

"Gloria, stay down. We can't let his sacrifice be in vain." Chris grabbed his sword and started to cut through the floor. 

"Hah! What a waste! You two won't get away!" Giovanni stood, holding out his prosthetic hand. There was a gun built into it. He took aim at them. 

Suddenly the room was filled with a blast of flame. Ice and lightning quickly followed as Moltres, Zapdos, and Articuno burst into the room. They set about eliminating the threat from the stunned gunners by freezing or stunning them, or sealing off where they were firing from with molten metal. They also took down the shield protecting the two leaders. Chris and Gloria got up and started towards them. 

"No!" Giovanni fired, but Chris deflected it with his blade, and they sprinted forward.  
Gloria jumped onto Giovanni, shattering his new arm with her fist.

"This is for Metang, you beast!" She started to pummel the man, and her gloves took on a bluish cast, like the color of Metang. She looked back for a moment, and saw his body disappearing, the metal dust swirling over to her and Chris. She then continued to beat Giovanni, long after he died. 

"Archie, this is for everything that you've done to Kyogre, and for the suffering that you've caused me and Gloria, and so many others!" 

"So, you feel justified now? Well, now you face an armed foe!" Archie pulled out his own sword, and they began to fight. Chris noticed that his blade began to turn blue, but couldn't tell where it came from, nor did he dare look. Archie fought with the desperation of a man with nothing to lose but his life, and had some skill with his blade. But Archie was fighting for a life that wasn't worth living, whereas Chris fought for lives other than his own. He parried Archie's blows, and finally managed to slip his blade through the man's ribs. 

"How do I free Kyogre?" 

With the last of his strength Archie crushed a small box in his other hand. "You...can't." Chris pulled his blade free of the corpse, and then went over to Gloria. 

"I'm sorry about Metang, Gloria." 

"At least he didn't die in vain. He gave his life to save us, and then gave his body to us. Look at your blade, and my gloves." Through the red blood on both, he saw that she was right. They were both the same vibrant, almost glowing blue as Metang, whose body was now gone. Their other Pokemon came over to join them, as well as the three legendary birds. 

"We are sorry that we couldn't get here sooner." Articuno started to croon. 

"We were too late to save your friend." Zapdos was unsettled, too. 

"We will always remember him, though." Gloria did not fight her tears as Moltres joined the other two's crooning song. 

"Right, how can you forget someone who gave their life for you?" Chris put his hand on her shoulder for comfort, though tears filled his own eyes. 

"Yes, good. Now, you two have a job to finish. Kyogre is still rampant outside." Fiery tears fell from Moltres's eyes, melting through the metal floor, and then she turned, preparing to guide them to her island. 

Chris grabbed the Ice Orb as Gloria grabbed the Lightning Orb, and they called everyone but Dragonaire and Skarmory into their Pokeballs. They then flew out through the shattered front of the air base. 

They had a hard time navigating the winds, but managed to come in close to Fire Island. They got onto the beach, and ran up to the shrine, where together they removed the Fire Orb from the statue of Moltres. Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres were all there. 

"Now, back to the main island and the shrine." 

"Easier said than done, Chris. We need some way to get there through the storm. It's only getting worse." 

Indeed it was. When they got down to the beach, they saw that the water level was rising significantly. "But what should we do?" Gloria turned to Chris, hoping that he could think of something where she couldn't. 

"Something from that legend bothers me. Maybe it was talking about you. For some reason, that song Melody played comes to mind. Alone the song shall fail, but maybe together..." Chris pulled out his poke flute, and began to play the song. Gloria joined in immediately, singing with him. As they reached the end of the verse, a waterspout suddenly erupted in front of them. It burst apart, revealing Lugia. He echoed the song, his song, as he came to rest in front of them. 

"Ah, Lugia!" Articuno shouted. 

"You've been awakened!" Zapdos called. 

"Now we stand a chance!" Moltres cried with joy. 

The three legendary birds submitted to their superior, who went down to where Chris and Gloria were. 

"You two, you have the treasures?" They pulled them out. "Good. Get on, we must take those to the shrine in order to succeed." 

Gloria and Chris got onto Lugia's back, and they all flew back towards Shamouti Island, where Kyogre was waiting.

Together they flew over to Shamouti Island, ready to confront Kyogre. Lugia spoke to them as they flew. "We will not be able to defeat him alone, in his current state. That is where you two come in. Those orbs will enable us to defeat Kyogre and free his mind, if all goes well." 

Chris and Gloria remained silent, haunted by the memories of what they'd done. They looked at their bloodstained weapons, and remembered. Chris remembered seeing the light go out of Archie's eyes, remembered seeing that light go out of others' eyes before him, after a hard blow from his sword to head, neck, or elsewhere. Gloria remembered the feel of her crushing blows on Giovanni, remembered that same feel from punching faces and ribs, from kicking at their attackers' already broken bodies. 

Then they looked at each other. Chris could feel the pain in Gloria's eyes, at both her loss of a dear friend and the loss of her innocence. Gloria could read in Chris's eyes sorrow for what he'd lost, and sympathy for her. She didn't realize until then how much he truly felt for her how much of her suffering he shared. Both of them had had their innocence stripped away from them, but yet he felt more for her loss than his own. He turned around and held her close, and she started to cry on his shoulder. Yet she couldn't help but notice in the cold rain that a few warm drops of water fell onto her neck, too. 

"I'm sorry, Gloria. I'm sorry that I led us into that, that you lost Metang. I'm sorry that..." 

"Chris, don't be a fool. We went in together, we're partners in this. You've never led me anywhere I didn't want to go just as much. Now, brace yourself, we're about to land." He just held her tighter as Lugia set down on Shamouti Island next to the shrine. 

"It is time, you two."

They both got off of Lugia's back, and ran over to the shrine. They put the three orbs in place, and they started to glow brightly. Red, Blue, and Yellow combined to form a green glow, filling the shrine. Green liquid started to pour out from the base of the shrine, filling in small rivulets that ran out to the seven pillars. As the liquid surrounded the bases of the pillars, they started to glow, looking more like crystal than rock. 

"Gloria! Chris!" They both turned to see who called them. 

"Melody! What are you doing here?" Melody was running to them from a cave nearby. 

"Hoping that the legend is true, as am I." A Slowking came out behind her. "Kyogre's Deluge will drown the world if we cannot stop it. The water level is already rising. Yet the chosen one can stop it, if she has the willpower to do so." 

"She?" All three humans looked at Slowking, who in turn looked at Gloria. "The world shall shout 'Glory a Gloria.' The letter 'a' becomes the word that means 'to' in the old tongue. But there will be no glory if you cannot withstand this. The Legends cannot fight Kyogre alone, they need help." 

"But, what can I do? How can I change the outcome?" 

"I do not know, but it must be you." 

"Go, Gloria, you can do it. I have a supporting role in this part of our story." Chris pulled out his flute and stood on the shrine. He started to play, a variation of Lugia's song. Melody ran up and joined him, playing Lugia's song as he added in other parts, the songs of the three other birds. 

Gloria ran up a path that led to the peak of the island, still not sure what, if anything, she could do. But the song filled her with hope and courage. She could hear a part of the tune that rang in her heart, one part of what Chris was playing that was especially hers. "I can do this, I know that now. Skarmory!" She called out her friend, and got onto her back. "We've got to get up there and help!" Together they fought through the wind, to confront the legendary beast...

Gloria and Skarmory flew up to where the four legendary birds were fighting Kyogre, and losing. Somehow she knew what she had to do. 

"Lugia! Articuno, Zapdos, Moltres! Listen to me, please!" The four birds turned to her.

"You need to work together, or you won't be able to win! I will guide you, if you like." 

"Of course, chosen one," Lugia said. The other three nodded in agreement. 

"Ok, attack together on my signal. Articuno, use Blizzard, Zapdos use Thunder. Go!" 

Kyogre, who before this had been relatively unaffected by their attacks, was hit hard as his storm was used against him, thunder and ice striking from the clouds. 

"Now, Moltres use Fire Blast! Lugia, use Aeroblast!" 

Flame and wind mixed to create a devastating combo attack that caused Kyogre to reel in pain. Yet his eyes remained blank. 

"Now, everyone, Wing Attack together! Hit him from above!" 

All four birds flew up above Kyogre, and came down at the same time, with extra power from their elements added into their blows. Fire, ice, lightning, and psychic energy blasted into Kyogre, and he plummeted from the sky into the surging sea. 

The wind suddenly shifted, and Gloria could hear the song piercing through the air, somehow more grand and powerful. The clouds that Kyogre had summoned began to disperse, the rain ceasing. 

"Skarmory, let's go down and see Kyogre. I want to make sure that he's recovered from Archie's control." Skarmory flew down to where Kyogre was floating. Lugia and the others were flying in place around him. Gloria jumped from Skarmory's back onto Kyogre. She somehow sensed that he wasn't free quite yet. 

"I have to find the thing that Archie was using to control him. But where is it?" she started to examine Kyogre's back, looking specifically in the area she remembered Archie sitting. One area of Kyogre's skin seemed darker than the rest of it. She felt it, a lump underneath his skin. "Ok, so it's right here, but how do I get it out?" 

Her glove suddenly started to glow, pulsing in time with the music ringing through the air. She punched that spot, and the device shattered. 

Kyogre suddenly started to glow red. Skarmory swooped down so that Gloria could jump on as Kyogre was drawn back into his Pokeball, which was its normal color now. The Pokeball then flew through the air towards the shrine, where Chris stopped playing to catch it. Melody finished the last few bars of the song, then sank to her knees. No trace remained of the disaster that almost happened except for some debris somewhat higher on the beaches than normal…


	29. Epilogue

Gloria sat on Skarmory's back, completely exhausted. She noticed that Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres all returned to their home islands, but Lugia was still there. 

"Chosen one, well done. Thank you for your aid. But I fear that there is another threat approaching." 

"Wha...another...threat?" Gloria was dazed, and didn't quite understand. 

"Yes. I am not sure what kind of threat, but it is out there. If you would have me, I would like to go with you to fight that threat." 

"Uh, sure. I'd be honored." Gloria threw her Master Ball, capturing Lugia. "Well, I've got a legendary Pokemon, now. Skarmory, let's head back to the shrine." Too tired to be excited, she returned to where Chris and Melody were waiting. 

"You did it, Gloria! Thank you!" Chris ran unsteadily over to her, at least as tired as she was. 

"And I caught Lugia, at his prompting. All in all a good day." She embraced Chris, and they both held each other close. They then sank to the ground together, falling asleep in the middle of the shrine.

They awoke several hours later in a small room, lying in a large bed. 

"Ah, I needed that nap." Chris stretched out and got out of the bed. 

"I can't believe that I actually caught Lugia! I was too tired to be excited earlier, but this is really cool!" 

"Yeah, and I've got Kyogre back, thanks to you." They met at the foot of the bed, and he kissed her. "I owe you for this, my dear." 

"You don't owe me anything, blade of my heart." She kissed him again. "However, we have something else to be concerned about. Lugia mentioned that there is another threat out there that we'll need to fight." 

"So, the next chapter has begun."

Later that day, they prepared to leave Shamouti Island. 

"We'll miss you!" Melody ran over and gave Gloria a big hug. 

"We'll miss you guys too." 

"Thank you so much for what you've done, both of you." The elder came over to them, and Chris shook hands with him. 

"We did what was needed, nothing more," Chris said, slightly embarrassed. 

"Come on, you two, we need to get going if we're going to get you two to the port in time." 

"Goodbye, everyone!" They got into Caroline's boat, and she pulled out of the harbor. 

"Heh, it's not like we can't come back. Now that you have Lugia, we can fly almost anywhere." 

"Yeah, you're right. We don't even have to worry about getting a ship to take us to Cianwood." 

"Well, you're not pulling out mid-voyage! I'd like to stay with you two at least until we get to the port." 

"Don't worry, Caroline, we'll stay here." Chris and Gloria both started to laugh. 

"Hey, Gloria, there's something I've been thinking about." 

"What's that?" 

"We really haven't spent any time apart since we started traveling together in Violet City." 

"Oh, my goodness, you're right! Probably the furthest apart that we've been was when I rode Skarmory to stop and save Kyogre!" 

"I realized that this morning, and then something else. So I made a quick electronic transaction this morning." 

"I was wondering what you were doing on that computer while I was doing my hair. What did you get?" 

Chris was silent for a moment, then he put his hand in his pocket, pulled something out, and went down on one knee. "Gloria, would you marry me?" He opened the box to reveal a beautiful diamond ring. 

"Chris, I...Yes! Of course I will!" She pulled Chris to his feet, and gave him a big kiss. "Oh, my heart has longed for this moment! But since we were never far apart..." 

"...I never got much chance to buy that." He put the ring on her finger, then kissed her again. 

"Congratulations, you two! You'd better invite me to the wedding!" 

"Consider yourself invited, Caroline." 

"Well, I guess your parents will find out once we get to Cianwood. What about mine?" 

"We could fly Lugia out there, and then pick them up and bring them back to the mainland." 

"Yeah, I guess so..." 

"What's wrong? Usually it's the girl who's reluctant to tell her parents." 

"Just...remember what I told you about my island." 

"Ah, yeah, no training allowed." 

"My parents weren't too thrilled by my plan. That might be a little much for them, flying in like that." 

"We'll think of something, though. But for now, let's just relax and enjoy our time together." She kissed him again, holding him close. Her childhood dream of finding a knight in shining armor had essentially come true. After all, what was a knight without his sword?


End file.
